The volume of climate-related data companies need to manage is exploding. So are the reporting requirements. What used to be a once-a-year checklist is now a continuous, high-stakes process that impacts investor confidence, regulatory compliance, and reputation. Smart companies are turning to AI to help them stay ahead of climate disclosure requirements and make the reporting process faster and more accurate. Companies can’t control how quickly disclosure requirements roll out, but they can certainly speed up their response.
For consulting firms, public companies, and financial institutions alike, the question is no longer whether AI belongs in their ESG reporting process — it’s where and how to use it most effectively.
The growing complexity of sustainability reporting
Sustainability reporting is becoming increasingly challenging, not just because of the growing number of rules, but also due to the fragmentation of those rules.
Different regions are introducing different standards. Companies are navigating a patchwork of overlapping regulations, from the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe to IFRS S1 and S2 from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), to California’s SB 261. Add in the complicating factor that many rules are proposed but then either repealed (e.g. the SEC’s climate disclosure rule) or scaled back (as has recently been proposed with the CSRD), and it’s hard for companies to know how to navigate the world of ESG disclosures methodically.
This confusion and fragmentation make data collection, benchmarking, and compliance tracking more difficult. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, asset class, and industry. Some disclosures demand qualitative insights. Others need granular emissions data. Many need both, and quickly. Although many companies have little experience collecting and preparing this kind of information, this is precisely the kind of challenge AI does best at.
Benefits of using AI for sustainability reporting
AI can simultaneously speed up reporting while making the process more reliable, scalable, and insightful. Here’s how.
Enhance accuracy and reduce risk
Manual reporting is prone to error. Teams spend hours combing through reports, spreadsheets, and PDFs, only to miss gaps, duplicate content, or craft disclosures that don’t align with standards.
Manifest Climate’s AI-powered platform changes that. It scans your disclosures (draft or published) against 1,000+ datapoints aligned with CSRD, IFRS S1 and S2, and other key frameworks. This helps surface missing information and flag inconsistencies in seconds. That means fewer errors, faster reviews, and stronger confidence in your disclosures.
Improve reporting efficiency
Sustainability teams are stretched thin, and they often discover that reporting cycles are long and resource-intensive. Instead of focusing on strategic work like setting goals or engaging stakeholders, teams spend most of their time wrangling data.
AI can free them up. Manifest Climate helps organizations benchmark sustainability disclosures against peers and competitors, automatically identifying what’s working and what needs improvement. This makes it easier to strengthen reporting over time without reinventing the wheel.
| Case study: Scaling sustainability capacity at a mid-sized insurer A medium-sized insurance provider knew it needed to up its game on sustainability reporting. With a small sustainability team and limited internal resources, it was struggling to keep pace with disclosure expectations, especially as frameworks like CSRD and ISSB gained traction.The company adopted Manifest Climate to identify gaps across its reports and map its disclosures to key frameworks. The result? A faster, more consistent reporting process and a clearer path to regulatory readiness. Read the full case study |
Strengthen scalability and resiliency
As sustainability frameworks multiply, organizations need tools that scale with them. AI helps teams stay ahead of new requirements, shifting stakeholder expectations, and internal complexity.
With Manifest Climate, updates to major frameworks — like CSRD, ISSB, and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) — are continuously tracked and mapped. This ensures your disclosures stay aligned, even as the landscape evolves.
Use cases for AI in sustainability reporting
AI improves sustainability reporting at every stage, from data collection to strategic insights. Whether you’re starting your reporting journey or trying to scale efforts across a large, complex organization, here’s where AI makes a difference.
Streamlining data collection and discovery
One of the most frustrating parts of sustainability reporting is hunting for data. ESG information lives across departments and formats, and can be contained in anything from spreadsheets to PDF reports, to climate risk models and internal memos. Sorting and reviewing all this manually takes time your team doesn’t have.
AI takes the load off. Manifest Climate’s platform analyzes your uploaded reports and documents instantly, tagging content by topic, framework, and requirement. That means you don’t need to rely on rigid templates or portals — you can work with the files you already have. You’ll spend less time searching and more time shaping strategy.
| Case study: Supporting transition planning at a major mining company When a large North American mining company needed to assess how well its climate strategy was reflected in its reporting, it turned to Manifest Climate. The company was preparing for heightened investor scrutiny and shifting global disclosure rules — and its sustainability team needed to pinpoint gaps quickly. Using Manifest Climate’s AI-powered analysis, the team was able to review multiple reports in minutes, surface inconsistencies, and benchmark against peers. This gave them the clarity to strengthen their disclosures and align internal and external messaging around transition risk. Read the full case study |
Keeping pace with evolving standards
Sustainability rules are expanding and changing rapidly. Whether it’s updates to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), new guidance from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), or region-specific rules like California’s SB 261, it’s hard to stay current.
Manifest Climate solves this by continuously mapping your disclosures to evolving frameworks. As rules shift, your documents are automatically reassessed — no need for manual cross-checking. This future-proofs your reporting and helps avoid last-minute scrambles when the next update drops.
Surfacing actionable insights
Most tools can help you identify what’s missing, but won’t go further than that. Ultimately, to improve reporting and show real progress, you need deeper insights. That’s where Manifest Climate stands out.
Our AI goes beyond gap analysis to deliver strategic intelligence. It benchmarks your disclosures against peers and leaders in your industry, identifies where you’re ahead or behind, and recommends specific actions to improve. It’s like having an sustainability reporting coach embedded in your workflow.
These insights are especially useful for sustainability teams managing multiple reports or supporting different regions. Instead of reviewing every document line by line, they can quickly zero in on what matters most.
Learn more about benchmarking best practices in our guide on leveling up your sustainability benchmarking.
Common concerns about using AI in sustainability reporting
Adopting new technology (especially AI) can raise valid concerns. Here’s what we hear most often from companies, and how we address them.
“We’re worried about data privacy.”
This is a top concern, especially when working with draft reports and sensitive internal strategies. Manifest Climate is designed with privacy in mind. Our platform is SOC 2 certified, which means we follow strict standards for data security and confidentiality.
When you upload documents, nothing is stored or shared. The files are analyzed in real time, then removed. Only your team has access to your analysis results.
“We don’t want to become overly reliant on a black box.”
We get it. Sustainability reporting requires judgment, nuance, and context. Manifest Climate isn’t here to replace your team’s expertise. It’s here to make it easier to apply.
Our AI explains what it’s doing and why. You’ll see which frameworks your content maps to, where the gaps are, and how you compare to peers. You stay in control of the decisions and have visibility into the process every step of the way.
“We already have a process — do we really need AI?”
If your current process is working, great. But AI can help you do the same work faster, with more confidence and fewer errors. It’s especially valuable for:
- Teams facing resource or time constraints
- Companies expanding into new jurisdictions
- Consultants supporting multiple clients or industries
Think of it like adding power tools to your toolkit. You don’t have to use them every day — but when deadlines hit or scope expands, you’ll be glad they’re there.
How to start using AI in your reporting strategy
Getting started doesn’t have to mean overhauling your entire workflow. Here’s a practical way to introduce AI into your sustainability reporting process.
Step 1: Identify your pain points
Where does your team lose time? Common bottlenecks include:
- Tracking changes across evolving disclosure frameworks
- Reviewing multiple documents for consistency
- Benchmarking against competitors or peers
- Surfacing insights for decision-makers
Start with one of these areas and see where AI can help lighten the load.
Step 2: Choose a tool built for sustainability
Not all AI is created equal. Generic tools may miss regulatory nuance or misinterpret sustainability-specific language. You need a platform that understands the details of CSRD, ISSB, TCFD, and other frameworks.
Manifest Climate is built by sustainability experts for sustainability professionals. It knows what to look for and how to help you act on it.
Step 3: Test and build trust
You don’t need to roll it out all at once. Start by uploading a single report and reviewing the results. See where the tool adds value. Use it to pressure-test a draft, review an annual filing, or benchmark against peers.
Over time, many teams find AI becomes a trusted sidekick, speeding up reviews, adding context, and making it easier to deliver high-quality reporting with less stress.
AI should play a supporting role in sustainability reporting by automating repetitive, time-consuming, and manual tasks, allowing human experts to focus on what matters most: strategy, decision-making, and impact. At Manifest Climate, we believe AI is best used to accelerate and scale sustainability workflows by handling document analysis, regulatory mapping, and benchmarking — tasks that traditionally consume enormous time and resources.
Our platform enables users to instantly identify disclosure gaps, align with evolving standards, and surface insights from vast amounts of data. But AI doesn’t replace human judgment — it enhances it. The real value lies in how sustainability, risk, and compliance teams utilize these insights to shape meaningful strategies, engage stakeholders, and build more resilient organizations. With AI handling the heavy lifting, humans are freed up to focus on high-value work: setting direction, making informed decisions, and driving meaningful change.
Take the first step toward smarter, AI-driven reporting
In a fast-changing sustainability landscape, the companies that thrive will be the ones who move fast, adapt quickly, and stay aligned with stakeholder expectations.
Manifest Climate helps you do all three. Our AI platform is built by sustainability experts to support every step of your reporting journey, so your team can focus on impact, not admin.
Book a demo to see how Manifest Climate can help you future-proof your reporting strategy.
