• 75% Reduction in Reporting Time: Emirates NBD slashed ESG data reporting from 3 months to 1 week.
• Near Real-Time Environmental Insights: The bank leveraged dashboards for quick, data-driven sustainability decisions.
• 50% Emissions Reduction: Surpassing its initial 5% target within a year.

Emirates NBD Group, a financial powerhouse across 13 countries, transformed its cumbersome emissions data collection process with Microsoft Sustainability Manager, cutting reporting time by 75% and enhancing real-time decision-making.

The challenge:

Complex and time-consuming data collection delayed Emirates NBD’s sustainability initiatives. “If we have to wait a year to understand our environmental impact, it will take us two years to actually make a change,” said Vijay Bains, Chief Sustainability Officer and Group Head of ESG at Emirates NBD Group.

The solution:

Implementing Microsoft Sustainability Manager provided seamless integration, upskilling stakeholders, and delivering efficient ESG reporting. “An exercise that previously took three months now can be completed in about a week,” shared Seema Shetty, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Faster, Smarter Decisions with Real-Time Data

Dashboards over spreadsheets: The new system replaced piles of paper with insightful dashboards, enhancing decision-making speed. “Instead of waiting for the end of the quarter or the year, we can pivot quickly based on the data,” Shetty emphasized.

Data-driven pivots: Emirates NBD discovered IT, not executive travel, was its largest emissions source. This insight led to targeted initiatives like investing in a solar plant in Türkiye.

Exceeding Sustainability Targets

• Results: The bank targeted a 5% emissions reduction but is now approaching 50%. “It’s a big selling point for customers,” Bains highlighted.
• Broader impact: Emirates NBD aims to expand its sustainability program into biodiversity, water conservation, and waste management, setting a benchmark for corporate sustainability.

Looking Ahead:

AI Integration and Corporate Collaboration

• AI for ESG reporting: The bank plans to integrate artificial intelligence to manage growing ESG data volumes and tailor reports to diverse stakeholders.
• Collaborative impact: Emirates NBD will enable corporate customers to use Microsoft Sustainability Manager, promoting broader adoption of sustainable practices.

The bottom line:

Emirates NBD’s strategic adoption of Microsoft Sustainability Manager not only streamlined ESG reporting but also drove substantial emissions reductions and set new standards for corporate sustainability in the region.

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