ESG software adoption statistics for 2026

An ESG software licence can cover carbon accounting, disclosure management, supplier requests or several of these tasks. That makes adoption a more complicated measure than simply counting companies with a subscription.

These ESG software adoption statistics examine which systems companies adopt, how they deploy them and where spending is directed. The collection brings together 15 findings from research published by Verdantix, KPMG, Nasdaq, BARC and Ubirch, with the relevant research populations attached.

Choosing ESG software requires more than comparing adoption rates. A platform needs to fit existing data sources, assign responsibilities and support repeatable workflows. Broader ESG reporting statistics help explain the disclosure demands behind purchasing decisions, while reporting automation statistics show where automation can reduce manual work.

When comparing benchmarks, distinguish between companies evaluating software, purchasing a platform and actively using it. Budget plans indicate interest, but completed implementations and regular use provide stronger evidence of adoption. Company size, industry and existing systems also affect how relevant each finding is to a purchasing decision.

ESG software adoption statistics at a glance

The figures below describe different populations and definitions of adoption. They are benchmarks for specific questions, rather than competing estimates of one universal global rate.

Finding	Research population	Period	Source
61% used commercial ESG and sustainability reporting software	Verdantix global corporate survey, 400 sustainability executives	2025	Verdantix adoption analysis
41% were adopting dedicated ESG platforms	KPMG survey of 100 UK companies	2025	KPMG UK research, page 11
73% reported using an ESG solution	Ubirch study of 202 people with ESG responsibilities in Germany	Fieldwork November and December 2023, published 2024	Ubirch and moweb research
71% used software to develop annual sustainability reports	Nasdaq research involving 150 executives experienced in using the software	2024	Nasdaq executive report
10% used integrated ESG and financial consolidation software	BARC consolidation survey, 453 participants overall	2025	BARC survey summary
48% intended to increase relevant software spending in 2026	Verdantix global corporate survey, 400 sustainability executives	2025 intentions for 2026	Verdantix survey results reproduced in Verified Value Delivery

A subscription, a deployment project and an integrated operating process are different milestones. When quoting a percentage, retain the source’s wording about which milestone it measures.

3 benchmarks for commercial ESG software adoption

These findings address commercial reporting software, dedicated platforms and more broadly defined ESG solutions. Their definitions and country coverage differ, so the percentages should not be ranked as national or global performance scores.

1. 61% used commercial reporting software in Verdantix’s 2025 survey

Verdantix reported commercial software use at 61% in 2025, compared with 29% in 2023. Its 2025 survey profile identifies 400 executives across 33 countries and 15 industries.

The difference is 32 percentage points, calculated from those reported rates. It describes a comparison between survey editions, rather than tracking the same individual companies through a purchase decision.

For buyers, the question is what the commercial system replaces or connects. A licence supporting one disclosure workflow may coexist with spreadsheets and other applications. Evaluating environmental data collection software should therefore include its actual coverage of source records and recurring tasks.

2. 73% used an ESG solution in Ubirch’s German study

Ubirch’s February 2024 research announcement reported ESG solution use among 73% of respondents. The result comes from people responsible for ESG in companies in Germany.

The category is broader than a commercial reporting platform. It should not be presented as a directly comparable German equivalent of the Verdantix percentage or as the current adoption rate across all German businesses.

Its practical lesson is to define the software category before benchmarking adoption. A carbon calculator, a supplier portal and a group disclosure platform may all be called ESG solutions while supporting different users and decisions.

3. 41% were adopting dedicated platforms in KPMG’s UK survey

KPMG’s UK report states that 41% were adopting dedicated ESG platforms. Its cited survey covers 100 UK companies across sectors and sizes.

The wording describes adoption activity. It does not establish that every implementation was complete or that all relevant information had moved into the platform.

A company reviewing its own rollout should record which facilities, metrics and users are covered. A deployment becomes more meaningful when teams can identify the information managed in the system and the work that still happens elsewhere.

How Dcycle helps companies turn software adoption into operational use

Dcycle is an environmental data platform that connects business records with calculations, evidence and reusable outputs. Companies can use that foundation for carbon accounting, reporting, cost analysis and operational decisions.

Consider a group evaluating software after acquiring another business. The procurement files, facility identifiers and reporting responsibilities may differ across the two organisations. Buying a licence is only the start of making those records useful together.

Dcycle supports the structure needed to bring that information into a shared process. The adoption question becomes whether teams can maintain, review and reuse the information as operations change.

Start with a representative data journey

Connections with existing business systems help bring information from operational sources into the platform. A practical evaluation can begin with a purchasing export or another recurring dataset already used by the business.

Follow that dataset through the intended calculation and output. Check whether the source, period and organisational context remain identifiable, including when a record needs correction.

This makes the evaluation concrete. The buyer can assess the work its own team would perform, the configuration required and the exceptions needing attention before extending adoption across more data streams.

Keep entities and responsibilities visible

Multi-entity management provides a structure for information across subsidiaries, facilities and countries. It helps preserve local context when information contributes to a group result.

Defined roles and permissions support collaboration between contributors and reviewers. The organisation can assign responsibilities alongside the information being collected.

For the acquisition example, this helps the group identify who owns a newly added source and how it enters consolidation. A common structure also makes a coverage change easier to distinguish from a change in operating performance.

Retain evidence as adoption expands

Evidence management and traceability connect supporting records with processing history and calculation details. A broader rollout can retain the explanations needed to investigate results.

This matters when responsibility passes to another colleague or an earlier calculation needs review. The information supporting a figure should remain retrievable after the original contributor has moved on.

Dcycle supports that preparation and investigation. Management retains responsibility for its information, and an independent assurance provider determines its own engagement procedures and conclusions.

Reuse information beyond the first report

Multi-framework reporting allows shared records to support different outputs while keeping applicable methods and boundaries identifiable.

The procurement information assembled for an emissions inventory may also inform supplier analysis or another business request. Reuse depends on checking that the receiving process asks for compatible information.

For a buyer, this creates a useful adoption test. Can the platform support the next recurring use without another team reconstructing the original dataset? That is a more informative question than simply counting available report templates.

3 statistics on the systems surrounding ESG platforms

Dedicated software sits within a wider technology environment. KPMG’s UK study provides separate figures on ERP integration, cloud platforms and connected collection technology, all within its UK research population.

1. 18% were integrating ESG reporting into ERP systems

KPMG reported that 18% were integrating ESG reporting into ERP systems. Integration is a distinct measure from adopting a dedicated platform.

An organisation can use both approaches. An ERP may remain the source for purchasing and financial records, while another platform organises environmental calculations and outputs.

Assess integration across management systems by identifying where each record originates and which system maintains it. A clear division of responsibilities helps avoid competing versions of the same source information.

2. 74% used cloud platforms for their ESG data strategies

The UK report records cloud platform use at 74%. This describes supporting infrastructure, rather than a dedicated ESG software market share.

A cloud environment can host data storage, analytical applications or several connected services. Its presence does not reveal which calculations are supported or how review responsibilities operate.

During procurement, distinguish infrastructure from the work performed on it. Automated data collection should be assessed through the sources it connects and the checks that remain necessary, alongside deployment and access arrangements.

3. 62% used IoT for ESG data collection

KPMG also reported IoT use for ESG data collection among 62% in its UK survey.

Connected measurements can provide operational inputs, but the measurement still needs a defined boundary and unit. A meter reading alone does not explain which activity or reporting period it should support.

Before converting readings into an impact figure, document the calculation method. The treatment of emission factors and their updates illustrates why source measurements and calculated results need to remain distinguishable.

3 use-case adoption statistics from existing software users

Nasdaq’s 2024 executive report surveyed 150 software-experienced executives. These findings describe its selected population.

1. 71% used software to develop annual sustainability reports

Nasdaq recorded use for annual sustainability report development among 71% of respondents.

Report development is an output-focused use case. It may include assembling disclosures without covering every upstream source or departmental collection process.

Before adopting software for this purpose, map departmental data collection responsibilities. The evaluation should show how contributors supply information and how reviewers investigate a published figure, alongside the process for preparing the final report.

2. 60% used software to interpret and respond to frameworks

In the same study, 60% used software to interpret and respond to reporting frameworks.

Framework support can be valuable when teams need to organise related information across different requests. It still requires decisions about materiality, scope and the meaning of a particular disclosure.

When evaluating ESRS and IFRS interoperability, test a shared input against both intended outputs. The system should help users understand where reuse is appropriate and where separate treatment is necessary.

3. 57% used software for emissions data and carbon accounting

Nasdaq reported use for collecting, managing and reporting emissions information among 57% of respondents.

Carbon accounting brings methodological requirements into software selection. Buyers need to understand how activity records, factors, organisational boundaries and revisions contribute to the result.

An evaluation of carbon footprint calculations should include a traceable example. Reviewers should be able to follow a selected figure back to its inputs and explain what would happen if a source record changed.

3 implementation and integration benchmarks

Software adoption continues after procurement. Implementation timelines, financial integration and investment plans describe different stages, so each benchmark needs its original context.

1. Implementations averaged around six months in Verdantix’s buyer interviews

Verdantix’s 2025 analysis reported an average of around six months, drawing on interviews with 35 software buyers. It also noted cases exceeding vendor estimates.

This is an observed interview benchmark, rather than a promise for a particular platform or a universal project schedule. The intended scope and starting condition of the information affect what a rollout involves.

Include source mapping and trial collection in the project plan. The approach to structuring recurring CSRD inputs helps teams identify preparation work before assuming that a purchased system is ready for group use.

2. 10% used an integrated ESG and financial consolidation solution

BARC’s 2025 consolidation survey summary reported integrated use at 10%, with nearly half planning implementation. The wider survey included 453 participants.

This measures a specific combination of systems. It should not be interpreted as the share using any ESG application, and an intention to integrate does not establish that the project was later completed.

Collaboration between finance and sustainability leaders can define what integration should achieve. Agree which boundaries, periods and source records must align before choosing how the systems should connect.

3. 31% used software to support audit and assurance programmes

Nasdaq’s 2024 study recorded current use for audit and assurance support among 31% of respondents.

This describes a software use case, rather than the share obtaining external assurance. A company may organise evidence digitally while the scope and level of an engagement remain separate professional decisions.

For adoption planning, test whether a reviewer can retrieve a complete explanation for a selected metric. A data room for assurance preparation can organise sources, calculations and review records around that practical requirement.

3 investment statistics relevant to software adoption

Spending plans and reported returns help frame a business case, but neither provides a guaranteed outcome for a new buyer. The figures below retain that distinction.

1. 48% planned to increase software spending in 2026

Verdantix’s 2025 survey found that 48% intended higher spending on reporting and data-management software in 2026. The result appears in its Verified Value Delivery research, page 5.

This was an intention for 2026 compared with 2025 spending. It does not confirm the expenditure eventually approved or the proportion that purchased a new platform.

A buyer’s business case should specify which capability the additional spending would deliver. Extending coverage to more entities, improving evidence retrieval and replacing a recurring transfer are different projects with different implementation needs.

2. 71% prioritised funding improvements in data management and reporting

The same Verdantix survey identified data management and reporting improvements as a funding priority for 71% over the following two years.

This is a process priority, not a software adoption percentage. Funding may support people, methodology, services or technology, depending on the organisation’s starting point.

Apply a finance perspective to environmental information when deciding what to fund. Identify the recurring work being improved and assess the full effort required to implement and maintain the change.

3. 62% reported full software ROI within three years

Nasdaq reported that 62% experienced a full return on their software investment within three years. This was respondent-reported ROI.

The result is not an independently verified payback forecast for another company. A new assessment needs its own costs, baseline and definition of benefits, including the treatment of time released for other work.

Clear governance and ownership help keep the business case accountable after purchase. Assign responsibility for reviewing the outcome and distinguish a recurring cost reduction from a change in how existing capacity is used.

How to use adoption statistics in a software decision

The most useful comparison starts with the task the company needs to support. A benchmark for disclosure software answers a different question from one about carbon accounting, ERP integration or assurance evidence.

Separate the decision into three stages. Define the information and outputs needed, test a representative workflow, and agree how the organisation will assess ongoing use. This makes the purchase review specific enough to reveal missing sources or unclear responsibilities.

Track implementation coverage as well as licence activation. A practical internal baseline can include entities onboarded, recurring sources connected and selected outputs with retrievable evidence. These are proposed management measures, rather than additional findings from the cited studies.

Review the measures together. Wider coverage is valuable only if contributors can maintain the information and reviewers can explain the resulting calculations. Adoption should make the process easier to operate across future cycles.

Methodology and citation notes

The 15 findings were selected for their focus on software uptake, supporting systems, use cases, implementation and investment. They are a synthesis of published research, rather than results from a Dcycle survey.

KPMG’s figures here come from its UK survey of 100 companies, rather than its larger global sample. Nasdaq surveyed software-experienced executives at organisations with revenue of at least $250 million.

Ubirch’s study methodology identifies 202 participants and fieldwork in November and December 2023. Its 2024 announcement is a historical observation and should not be used to determine current German reporting obligations or adoption rates.

BARC states the size of its overall consolidation survey, but its public summary does not specify a separate response base for the integrated ESG item. Verdantix’s implementation interviews involved 35 buyers and are distinct from its 400-executive corporate survey.

Several sources were commissioned or published by software providers. The Verified Value Delivery document was prepared for Benchmark Gensuite and reproduces identified Verdantix survey findings. Reported benefits and intentions remain respondents’ assessments, not independently established product outcomes.

No percentages from different studies have been averaged. The examples and management recommendations are editorial analysis. Retain the study date, population and precise definition when quoting a statistic.

Start with a workflow your team uses every month

Choose a recurring task, such as collecting energy invoices across several sites. Check whether the software can capture the data, identify missing records, route questions to the right person and retain the evidence behind each figure.

During the rollout, track how long the task takes, how many records need correcting and whether reviewers can find supporting documents without asking colleagues. These measures help determine whether the platform is making daily work easier and what needs fixing before more teams start using it.

Dcycle brings environmental records, calculations and supporting evidence into a shared data platform. Teams can reuse that information for reporting, compare energy costs across sites and investigate unusual consumption.

The most useful adoption decision is therefore grounded in a real workflow. It shows whether the platform reduces repeated collection work, preserves context when data changes and makes information usable by more than one team.

These answers explain how to interpret the adoption figures and use them in a buying decision. The relevant research population remains essential to any quotation.

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