ESG & Carbon Footprint Calculation Platform: Automating CO2 Tracking and Reporting

Desired outcome

Develop a prototype for a digital platform that automates the calculation of ESG factors and carbon footprint (CO2) for products. The platform will use document recognition and external databases to generate comprehensive reports covering ESG Scope 1, 2, and 3.

Initial Problem Description

We aim to address the challenge of automating the process of calculating a product’s carbon footprint and ESG impact. Currently, many companies struggle with manual processes and fragmented data when it comes to assessing their environmental impact. The challenge for the team is to create a platform that can scan and recognize documents, automatically retrieve relevant data from external sources, and generate accurate reports on CO2 emissions for ESG Scopes 1, 2, and 3. The key problem is streamlining and automating this process, ensuring accuracy, and delivering insightful reports.

Context

This challenge arises in industries where sustainability and transparency are increasingly critical. Companies across sectors face growing pressure to report their environmental impact accurately, but the complexity of data sources, reporting standards, and manual processes often leads to inefficiencies. This platform will help businesses quickly assess their carbon footprint by automating data extraction from supply chain documents, integrating with external carbon databases, and creating reports aligned with global ESG reporting standards. Use cases include supply chain management, product life cycle assessment, and corporate sustainability reporting.

Connection to cross-cutting areas

This challenge connects directly to digitalisation, as it involves automating processes and integrating various data systems. It also ties into circularity and general sustainability, as accurate CO2 and ESG reporting are fundamental for tracking a company’s environmental impact and ensuring sustainable operations. By providing reliable data on carbon emissions, the platform can help companies make more informed decisions that support their sustainability goals.

Input

Students will not receive any predefined scenarios or direct input from the company. They are expected to independently research and design the platform from scratch. This includes developing document recognition algorithms, integrating external databases for carbon footprint data, and defining the methodology for calculating CO2 emissions across ESG Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Teams must also explore current ESG standards and frameworks to ensure that the platform aligns with global reporting requirements. The ability to automate the entire process—from data extraction to final report generation—is a key aspect of the challenge.

Expectations

The solution should focus on automating the entire process—from document scanning and data recognition to report generation. We expect the team to develop a working prototype of the platform that demonstrates how it would handle real-world data and generate reports in line with ESG standards. Apart from delivering the technical solution, we expect the team to consider user experience, scalability, and the ability to integrate with third-party data sources. Additionally, the solution should provide clear, actionable insights in the form of customizable reports.

Desired Team Profile

We are looking for a team with skills in software development, particularly in areas like machine learning, natural language processing (for document scanning), and API integration. A background in environmental science or sustainability would be an asset to ensure the team understands ESG reporting requirements and carbon footprint calculations.

Additional Information

The ESG reporting and carbon footprint sector is highly competitive, with a growing demand for automated, accurate tools. However, many current solutions are either expensive or incomplete. There are no known mergers or acquisitions affecting this space currently, but it’s important to note the trend towards stricter regulations around sustainability reporting globally.

Related Keywords

• Industrial manufacturing, Material and Transport Technologies
• Sustainability
• Industrial Products