Annual Report 2023

Award-winning sustainability reporting work with Foresight Group

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  • Case Study
We are using Salesforce Net Zero Cloud technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven insights to enhance analysis and reporting for Foresight and its private equity (PE) investment portfolio.

Setting the scene

Businesses are under growing pressure to capture broader ESG data, as new regulations, accounting standards and rules aimed at accelerating the drive for net zero come into force. 

This increased reporting need means now is the time to get the right technology in place to capture the data required to measure performance against ESG targets. 

Foresight Group, a leading sustainability-led investment manager,whose PE portfolio is largely made up of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), generates a massive amount of ESG data across carbon consumption, emissions and diversity. SMEs account for 99% of UK businesses, and often do not have the resources to effectively measure their emissions and sustainability impact. So Foresight decided to implement Salesforce Net Zero Cloud to collect, store and analyse data – and we’ve been part of the team making that happen.

How we helped

We’ve worked with Foresight to deliver one of the first implementations of Salesforce Net Zero Cloud in EMEA.

The team, based largely in Belfast, led the design and implementation of the platform, tailored to give them the AI and data-driven insights needed to enhance data collection, analysis and reporting across their global corporate business.

We designed and built the capability for Foresight to make the platform directly accessible to approximately 200 SME companies in its PE portfolio. This revolutionises sustainability for them, making new forms of data and reporting accessible for these companies. And it enables Foresight to support them  in understanding the commercial implications of their ESG metrics, as well as assisting with sustainability reporting.

Net Zero Cloud will also help Foresight and its portfolio companies improve data quality and third-party verification for auditing, increasing accountability and enabling meaningful target-setting.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Salesforce and PwC on the delivery of the Net Zero Cloud platform. Net Zero Cloud will enhance Foresight’s ability at a corporate level to better collate and utilise our sustainability data for continuous improvement.”

Lily Billings
Head of Sustainability at Foresight

Making a difference

Foresight now has a single source of ESG data, so users across the business have access to the same, up-to-date information. The solution allows Foresight’s portfolio to track and analyse their carbon footprint across their value chain and track ESG metrics beyond emissions.

The solution reduces the risk of manual error because there is no need to manually input data. And, with the solution’s robust audit trail, compliance is no longer an issue. Accurate, transparent data - and the technology to measure and interpret it - is one of the key tools well-run companies will need as they make decisions contributing to the global effort to tackle climate change

The project was named Sustainability Project of the Year at the Northern Ireland Digital DNA Awards 2023.

Contact us

Annual Report enquiries

Corporate Affairs, PwC United Kingdom

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