Cut down unnecessary time spent on ESG reporting

No time to read through the details? Here’s a summary of the five easiest ways to save time on ESG reporting. 

1. Appoint an ESG reporting lead: Create one point of contact to manage reporting and keep things on track. 
2. Automate building data collection: Ditch the spreadsheets, use software to collect building data in real time
3. Analyze data with AI-driven insights: AI spots patterns in energy use, emissions, or performance over time.
4. Develop ESG report templates using industry best practices: Standardize reports with templates based on industry frameworks, often available within building optimization software.‍
5. Set up self-serve ESG dashboards for tenants: Let tenants access their own data, no more manual updates or emails.

Which ESG reporting requirements apply to real estate?

Real estate ESG reporting typically involves frameworks like the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which vary based on your location and investor expectations. These standards require accurate, transparent, and timely disclosures on environmental performance, social practices, and governance policies. Considering that over 90% of S&P 500 companies regularly publish ESG reports, effective ESG reporting has become a benchmark for competitiveness and credibility in today’s real estate industry. 

Efficient ESG reporting is important because it directly affects stakeholder trust and investor relations while boosting property value. Investors and tenants increasingly favor properties with strong sustainability credentials, making streamlined ESG reporting not merely a compliance task but a strategic advantage. Property owners who optimize their ESG reporting process gain a competitive advantage, boosting their reputation and bottom line. 

5 ways to save time on your ESG reporting

The following 5 strategies are practical and actionable ways to cut down unnecessary effort and time spent on your ESG reporting process. 

1. Appoint an ESG reporting lead

Without clear accountability, ESG reporting quickly becomes chaotic. By assigning a dedicated ESG reporting lead, often someone in finance, compliance, or asset management, you establish a single point of responsibility that ensures deadlines are met, accurate reporting, and proactive problem-solving. 

This lead also becomes the go-to person for stakeholder questions, creating clear communication and alignment across your organization, ultimately saving your team valuable time and energy.

2. Automate building data collection

Once your ESG reporting is in place, its impact multiplies with access to reliable, real-time building data. Manual data collection is not only time-consuming but also increases the risk of errors that can delay your reports. By connecting your building systems, like meters, sensors, and BMS, to a centralized software platform like Healthy Workers, you automate data collection and ensure your information is accurate, consistent, and always up to date.

Automated data collection doesn’t just save time, it also lays the groundwork for smarter decisions and increasing property value. This strengthens your ESG profile while also making it easier to benchmark performance across assets and identify areas for improvement. 

3. Analyze data with AI-driven insights

According to industry estimates, using AI-powered analytics can cut the time spent on European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) like ESG reporting by as much as 30 to 50%. AI tools quickly identify trends, flag discrepancies, and generate predictive insights, which all reduce the time spent on data validation and last-minute corrections.

To get started, look for platforms that already integrate AI into their ESG tooling. This could be software that connects directly to your building data sources and applies machine learning to detect usage patterns, anomalies, and performance gaps. Tools like Healthy Workers offer these AI capabilities, helping you go from raw data to actionable insights without needing a data science team.

4. Develop ESG report templates using industry best practices

Building your ESG reporting around frameworks like EPBD provides a strong foundation and a major efficiency boost. Standardized templates ensure consistency across reporting periods and help you avoid starting from scratch every year.

Start by choosing a framework that applies to your portfolio (such as EPBD or CSRD), and build your template around its key requirements. When combined with building optimization software, these templates can even auto-fill data from your systems, saving time, improving accuracy, and strengthening your position with regulators, investors, and tenants.

5. Set up self-serve ESG dashboards for tenants

Tenant-specific ESG dashboards empower you to independently access key data, such as energy consumption, CO2 emissions, or indoor climate performance, without needing to request it from property management. This removes the need for repeated manual exports, email threads, or spreadsheets, saving your team time every month.

You can set this up by linking your metering and sensor data to a tenant-facing platform that filters insights per unit or floor. Building software systems allows you to configure individual access rights, so tenant can log in anytime to track their own usage and performance. This not only streamlines reporting but also fosters a sense of ownership and engagement, making it easier to align tenant behavior with your ESG targets. 

Bonus tip: Get expert advice from building optimization experts

One last tip that can truly take your ESG reporting to the next level is getting expert advice from building optimization experts. Whether you own one single building or a portfolio of them, regulations evolve, and the volume of data is growing. Expert support therefore isn’t just helpful, it's needed. 

Building optimization experts help you identify which ESG metrics actually matter for your buildings and your goals. They can guide you through setting up efficient data flows, choosing the right tools, and building a repeatable, compliant reporting process. With their help, you avoid costly mistakes and make faster, smarter decisions that align with both your regulations and your strategy. 

And the good news is that you don’t need to be dependent on experts only. At Healthy Workers, we don’t just offer software, we offer you expert advice. For example, when working with Equity Estate, our team helped them structure an ESG data strategy across 200,000m2 of office space. The result? Up to 20% energy savings in the first year and a streamlined approach to Paris-Proof reports.

Healthy Workers automates your real estate ESG reporting without compromising on accuracy

Like the 5 time-saving tips we shared? Healthy Workers helps you put them into practice, efficiently and without the hassle. We combine smart technology with expert support to simplify ESG reporting across your entire portfolio. From data collection to tenant dashboards, we turn ESG from a time-consuming task into a valuable part of your building strategy.

Here’s how we make the difference:

• Automated, accurate building data collection
• Real-time ESG dashboards for tenants and asset managers
• AI-powered insights that reduce your reporting workload by up to 50%
• Customizable templates aligned with EPBD and other frameworks
• Expert guidance to set up a future-proof reporting process

Want to see what that looks like for your buildings? Book your 30-minute demo today and we’ll show you how much time you can save while improving your ESG performance.