SAP.iO, German tech giant SAP’s open innovation model and a zero-equity-ask program, has recently announced its Foundry Tel Aviv cohort centered on helping enterprises drive their ESG goals, particularly carbon accounting. Designed to be conducted virtually, the Carbon Accounting program intends to harness enterprise data and tackle companies’ pressing need to further sustainability efforts in line with consumers’ and investors’ increasing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) awareness.

“Data is a critical driver toward sustainability success. Enterprise data collection is a challenge where SAP helps its customers on their journey to Net Zero,” stated Gunther Rothermel, Senior Vice President and Head of SAP Sustainability Engineering. “It is about using the right tools and the latest innovation to achieve this goal.”

Today, more than ever, sustainability has been at the forefront of many, if not, all companies regardless of industries. Businesses recognize that consumers have evolved into more socially and environmentally conscious buyers who prefer to support companies that are managing their carbon footprint and take action to support climate change.

SAP is among the global companies that have embedded sustainability measures within its operations and its programs. For instance, SAP.iO has been supporting accelerator programs such as SAP.iO Foundry Tokyo’s cohort early this year, which is focused on developing solutions to empower intelligent, sustainable enterprises.

Harnessing Enterprise Data Management for ESG

The Foundry Tel Aviv cohort has been evaluated by a jury of SAP experts, partners, investment funds, and SAP customers such as ABInBev, DSV Global Transport and Logistics. During the program, the chosen startups will have access to curated mentorship and exposure to SAP technology and application programming interfaces (APIs) as well as collaboration opportunities with the Foundry team and SAP customers across various industries.

Here are the six tech startups to work on the theme “Carbon Accounting” through advancing enterprise data management:

• Connect Earth. The startup leverages API frameworks to link financial spending with its carbon emissions, championing conscious consumerism through its environmental data-tracking technology.

• ESGgo. The tech company offers a one-stop-shop ESG technology tool for ESG executives, legal, compliance, HR, and communication teams. The B2B enterprise software provides internal ESG data monitoring, gap analysis, and AI-based optimization.

• ESG Enterprise. Based in Houston, Texas, ESG Enterprise offers an all-in-one ESG platform that includes data, reporting, carbon management, and supply chain data to monitor sustainability impacts and meet reporting requirements to help companies simplify ESG reporting and carbon neutrality journeys.

• SustainCert. The Luxembourg-headquartered startup is developing a software platform that supports digital verification of impact claims across carbon markets and value chains. SustainCert also provides advisory services for companies that pursue Scope3 impact verification.

• Sustain.Life. The company offers comprehensive sustainability software that helps enterprises streamline ESG reporting and carbon accounting, which includes automatically calculating emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3.

• Unravel Carbon. The Singapore-headquartered tech company is the creator of the first AI-powered decarbonization platform in Asia. Unravel Carbon offers enterprise software that converts accounting data into full supply chain carbon data in seconds.

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In recent years, Malaysia has accelerated its digitalisation efforts for both the public and private sectors to keep pace with the fast-evolving digital economy. Correspondingly, German software multinational SAP has also reinforced its growth strategy in the country following the appointment of Managing Director Kok Cheong Hong in 2019.

Under Hong’s leadership, SAP has continued to be at the forefront of Malaysia’s massive digital adoption supporting government initiatives and creating solutions for businesses and the workforce of the country. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, SAP Malaysia has already recognised the need to support SMEs and the future workforce in line with the nation’s economic recovery and digital transformation plans. The tech giant has expressed support to the MyDIGITAL initiative launched in 2021 to propel Malaysia’s digital vision by 2030 underpinned by the “Cloud-First Strategy” among others.

This year, SAP forges ahead on the momentum of the company’s business strategy in Malaysia attuned with the country’s latest national development agenda Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP). Focused on shared prosperity, the initiative covers three key dimensions such as economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, and social re-engineering. 

SAP Backing Twelfth Malaysia Plan  

Globally, SAP has been paving the way for organisations of all sizes across industries to transform into sustainable, intelligent enterprises leveraging the software company’s comprehensive portfolio of cloud-based solutions. SAP has introduced several industry-specific solutions– such as SAP S/4HANA for Waste and Recycling, SAP Intelligent Returns Management, and SAP Responsible Design and Production– to partners and customers to drive sustainability at scale and support a circular economy. 

In Malaysia, SAP MD Hong expressed the company’s sustainability measures that align with 12MP. He highlighted that the initiative’s three pillars–social, environmental, and economic activities and performance– are interconnected and have an impact on each. He stated:

“Our efforts focus on helping to create a sustainable future for Malaysia, our customers, and society at large. For us, it is crucial to be a responsible business that holistically manages our performance and steers our business in an integrated way – connecting financial and non-financial performance.”

One of the goals of the prosperity initiative is to make Malaysia carbon neutral by 2050 by introducing carbon pricing and carbon tax. Similarly, SAP has earlier announced that the company is raising its ambition of achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2030, 20 years earlier than its original 2050 timeline. 

Hong explained that enterprises can embed end-to-end sustainability across their operations through digital solutions–from product designing to tracking materials’ lifecycle– that support the principles of the circular economy such as eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and regenerating nature.

“SAP’s data-driven approach lets businesses embed sustainability comprehensively to gain actionable insights across the value chain to enable companies to transition to low-carbon business processes,” Hong added. “We enable businesses to proactively identify the carbon impact at the beginning of the product lifecycle instead of reactively after a product has been produced.

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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), a not-for-profit, policy research organisation based in New Delhi, has been pioneering innovations in the field of energy, environment, and sustainability to usher India’s transition to a cleaner and sustainable future. As one of its core values, the multi-dimensional organisation has been forging collaborative partnerships internally and internationally to accelerate research and development of transformative solutions, including technology products, services, policy advisory, and outreach programmes.

This week, TERI has sealed a partnership with German software enterprise SAP under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a bid to accelerate the realisation of the country’s larger sustainability agenda. Similar to TERI’s emphasis on collaboration, the tech giant is also aggressive in scaling sustainability efforts by partnering with technology companies, NGOs, and standards-setting organisations to build solutions that satisfy today’s needs. 

“It is the responsibility of every organisation in the country to ensure they drive their business sustainably. It is extremely pleasing to see SAP India’s efforts to not only facilitate sustainable growth for itself, but the nation at large,” Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General at TERI explained. “Only through a joint effort by the entire nation can we negate the impact of climate change and bring about real, impactful solutions.”

Partnering with SAP for Sustainability 

Together, SAP India and TERI will join forces to drive sustainable developments in key industries, societies, and government operations, service delivery, and governance harnessing the two organisations’ expertise. The alliance will be maximising TERI’s influence and capabilities in the Energy and Resources sectors while SAP India will be focusing on delivering technologies and services, partnering with value chains as well as sharing tracking and reporting capabilities. 

The four key areas of the sustainability partnership are: Climate Change Awareness, Resources, and Sustainability Audit, Impact on Policy, and Build a Net-Zero Path. SAP and TERI will work with government through data driven approach to monitor the impact of sustainability related policy decisions according to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) achievements. The alliance will also help industries advance sustainability reporting and analysis by providing sector-specific audit and efficiency improvement services and guidance.

Commenting about the alliance, SAP Indian Subcontinent President and Managing Director said:

“India is the world’s fourth-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide and we have to take action now to ensure the next generation has a better future. We also understand that sustainability is a team sport, and building a vibrant ecosystem is the best approach to accelerate our pledge to achieve Net-Zero. SAP, together with TERI, is committed to join forces that march towards India’s vision of becoming a carbon-neutral nation by 2030.”

SAP has earlier announced that the company is raising its ambition of achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2030, 20 years earlier than its original 2050 timeline. The software company has been an exemplar of championing technology innovation while integrating sustainability across its business initiatives, within and outside the organisation. SAP has been helping on-premise customers transition to the cloud to reduce carbon footprint, creating sustainability startup programmes, engaging key partners to commit to net-zero, utilising best-in-class data centers with a cloud carbon footprint calculator, and investing in renewable energy.

During the Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP26, SAP CFO and member of the Executive Board Luka Mucic highlighted:

“We must reinvent the global economy. That is what it will take to limit global warming to 1.5℃. All of us must build sustainability into the fabric of how we do business. Only when a business strategy is sustainable itself and is embedded in all aspects of the business, can we reduce negative impacts and create regenerative systems.”

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Multinational software enterprise SAP has announced at the the World Leaders Summit, part of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), that it will be investing $2.2 million to the LEAF (Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance) Coalition in a bid to accelerate the fight against climate change. As part of the voluntary global coalition, SAP will be supporting tropical and subtropical jurisdictions to significantly reduce deforestation and carbon emissions along with governments and leading private companies.

SAP for Sustainability at Scale

Sharing about SAP’s latest sustainability partnership, Luka Mucic, CFO and member of the Executive Board of SAP said:

“We are committed to being part of the solution to climate change. As we accelerate our transformation to be a net-zero company, we continually look for ways to avoid, reduce, and, if needed, compensate emissions. No company or country alone, however, will turn the tide on climate change. So, it is also our priority to collaborate. That’s why we’re excited to join forces and accelerate action as part of the LEAF Coalition. We’re confident that our investment will support nature-based solutions benefitting the environment, biodiversity, and local communities.”

The LEAF coalition has also announced during the World Leaders Summit that it has mobilised its initial goal of $1 billion funding to help tropical and subtropical forest countries and states reverse deforestation as well as support  them in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. US non-profit Emergent serves as LEAF’s administrator coordinator to provide a platform for the financial transactions to these programs. Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Nepal, and Vietnam will be part of the first wave of jurisdictions for purchase agreement discussions with the coalition’s corporate participants.

“Sustainability directly links to SAP’s purpose of helping the world run better and improving people’s lives,” stated Daniel Schmid, SAP Chief Sustainability Officer. “This means creating positive economic, environmental, and social impact. To live up to this ambition, SAP provides customers with products and services that help meet their sustainability opportunities and challenges. We also lead by example and strive to be a role model for sustainable operations and investments.”

On Becoming a Net Zero Company

SAP has been an exemplar of championing technology innovation while integrating sustainability across its business initiatives, within and outside the organisation. The enterprise Giant’s sustainability intiatitives have been recognised by Terra Carta, a charter that provides the foundation of a recovery plan to 2030 embedding Nature, People, and Planet at the core of value creation. SAP is among the 44 organisations that received the inaugural 2021 Terra Carta Seal for their exemplary transition business plans to becoming net zero on or before 2050. 

The software giant has pledged to embed sustainability in its strategy, vision, and operations on top of helping organisations manage their green line with programs like Climate 21 to help them become intelligent, sustainable enterprises. Following its raised commitment in 2019 of 1.5° C science-based emissions reduction targets aligned with a net-zero future, SAP pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2023 including all direct, indirect, and selected categories of value chain carbon emissions.

Recently, SAP announced that it is doubling down its sustainability efforts by transitioning its 27,000 vehicle fleet to electric cars by 2030, a massive corporate strategy to bring the company closer to its climate ambitions. The company has also released new sustainability software solutions such as SAP Responsible Design and Production, SAP Product Footprint Management, and Feather by SAP.

In a recent Harvard Business Review webinar attended by SAP CEO Christian Klein, SAP Asia Pacific Japan President Paul Marriott and Global Plastic Action Partnership Director Kristen Hughes, SAP highlighted that technology has a critical role in helping companies embed circularity in their business processes to help address pressing environmental and social challenges.

“You can solve the sustainability, transparency and the circular process through a lot of the digital transformation that is already happening,” Marriott stressed.

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The Climate 21 initiative enables customers to calculate, report, and take the right actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. SAP CEO Christian Klein said that the software company is uniquely positioned to help enterprises address the challenge of carbon management. He stressed in his recent LinkedIn post:

“As we run the supply chains of the largest companies in the world, we can play a central role in helping companies manage their green line by minimising the carbon footprint and negative environmental impact of their products.”

With its industry expertise and global scale to take on climate action, SAP also empowers organisations to transform their business models, customer engagement methods, and supply chains as necessary to hit their net-zero carbon emissions goals. 

Just recently, SAP has also pledged to achieve carbon-neutrality in its own operations by the end of 2023 — two years earlier than previously stated. By focusing particularly on climate action objectives, the company supports the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly.

SAP Invests in the Development of Sustainable Digital Technologies

Once again reinforcing its ongoing dedication to tackling climate change, SAP CEO Christian Klein has become one of the 26 CEOs to sign a Declaration to support the Green and Digital Transformation of the EU. SAP has joined forces with other companies in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector to become founding members of the European Green Digital Coalition (EGDC).

EGDC members will cooperate with the European Commission to deliver their sustainability commitments in the following areas:

• Investment in the deployment and development of sustainable digital technologies and services that have greater material and energy efficiencies.
• Development of tools and methods to measure the overall impact of green digital technologies on the environment in partnership with non-government organisations and other relevant experts.
• Co-creation of guidelines and recommendations for the green digital transformation of different industries including, but not limited to, technology, construction, energy, agriculture, and transport to further contribute to an innovative, inclusive and resilient society.

On top of this, SAP has partnered with the members of the CEO Alliance to invest over €100 billion in decarbonisation and other projects such as ensuring carbon emissions transparency along the full supply chain.

Moreover, a European Parliament Pilot project — financed and managed by the European Commission — will support the activities of the EGDC later this year.

Collaboration in SAP’s Climate 21 Initiative

Meanwhile, Quantum Business Advisory (QBA) has recently been added to the list of companies partnering with SAP to jointly explore collaboration in the Climate 21 program. The company has also expressed its interest in SAP Product Carbon Footprint Analytics — a solution that offers carbon transparency of a product across the entire value chain, including transport, production, energy use, and raw materials.

Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, QBA is a premier practitioner in SAP solutions and services. As a company that has established its name on both the manufacturing domain and SAP technology, it will also work closely with the software giant in developing artificial intelligence (AI) driven manufacturing solutions.

Subimal Mukherjee, Centre Head at QBA Kolkata, said:

“This is our first of many steps that we are going to take together with the SAP team to reach some significant goals.”

Furthermore, InsideSAP is also gearing towards green recruitment to pave the way for more sustainable SAP projects. The implementation of a simple yet powerful TRP (Talent Resource Planning) system will drive sustainability in a company all while saving time and money.

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SAP 1BL Ventures—launched in 2018 in parallel with SAP’s business strategy—was first developed at SAP APJ under Adaire Fox-Martin’s leadership. The SAP Executive Board Member (who is reportedly departing the company at the end of the month) explains SAP 1BL’s purpose:

“Despite the challenges in today’s world, I believe humans are inherently good. This program gives SAP employees an opportunity to live large, and demonstrate that faith in humanity.”

The SAP 1BL Ventures program cultivates social intrapreneurs by offering the stability of an established business and the speed and innovative thinking of a startup. 

A look at SAP Global 1BL Ventures

According to Deb Kaplan, head of SAP 1BL, the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has provided greater motivation for SAP global teams to develop social and environmental solutions. Kaplan comments:

“This year’s teams have been put to the test to solve social and environmental problems focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19 in a fully virtual environment. With a global pandemic displacing many teams from one another due to lockdowns and quarantines, these teams continued to push themselves to find new ways to work together, solve problems, communicate more effectively, and complete the journey that they started and refused to give up on.”

Over 2,000 SAP global employees participated in the 2020 SAP 1BL program. In this article, we’ll look at teams that presented the most developed and impactful social innovation ideas focused on addressing the growing issue of unemployment.

Social Recruitment

The SAP 1BL Japan team found a solution that proposes to solve Japan’s poverty issues by helping disadvantaged citizens find work through a customizable digital job-matching platform.

Led by SAP Value Advisor Expert Satoru Ota, the team worked with SAP Fieldglass and came up with ‘Social Recruitment Platform.’ The team is also working with Grameen Nippon to further develop the solution.

According to Ota, in the future, their team hopes to roll out the solution globally to poverty-stricken areas. Moreover, Ota aspires to use the venture to also help professionals whose industries may offer poorer visibility into open positions (such as artists and independent contractors).

Athena

Team Athena from SAP China hopes to create ways to improve differently-abled people’ lives through meaningful employment. The team collaborated with Taicang Inclusion Factory to build and deploy an intelligent production planning application. They are also working to develop more intelligent tools to help recruiters effectively find differently-abled individuals and also support individuals in overcoming personal barriers.

Jason Sun, a principal support engineer with SAP China, explained:

“We hope to really help these people improve their lives in every way.”

Sebenza

The Sebenza team decided to create a mobile-first job search approach to help blue-collar workers who still struggle to find available employment opportunities, especially with the challenges created by the current global pandemic. Through its partnership with the Southern Caribbean Islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the team was able to engage IT students on the islands and identify ministries within the country with which they could further partner with.

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