UK businesses face challenges in emissions reporting, with 45% citing lack of data from technology vendors and 42% struggling with internal capacity to track emissions.
Nearly half (43%) of UK business leaders are hesitant to fully uncover their emissions data, and 62% worry about potential public backlash if their emissions are too high, according to new research commissioned by Wasabi Technologies.
The study surveyed 1,200 business decision-makers across the UK, France, and Germany to assess how companies are addressing the sustainability of their technology infrastructure. The findings highlight growing concerns about emissions reporting and the pressure to meet environmental expectations from customers and regulators.
Fear of transparency and customer loss
While businesses recognise that customers and the public expect accurate emissions reporting, transparency remains a challenge. Over half (51%) of respondents are concerned that revealing the full extent of their emissions could drive customers away.
Scope 3 emissions – indirect emissions from value chain activities, including technology infrastructure – are often the largest part of a company’s carbon footprint. Despite this, only 66% of European businesses believe they have a clear picture of their technology-related emissions. This figure rises to 70% for UK businesses.
Uncertainty over emissions data appears to be holding back business decisions. More than eight out of ten UK companies (82%) say that unreliable emissions data stifles innovation, and 42% report that uncertainty about the environmental impact of technology has delayed investment decisions.
Challenges with tech vendors and internal resources
Three main challenges limiting companies’ ability to measure their tech-related emissions accurately are a lack of reliable vendor data, data quality concerns, and internal capacity issues.
- Incomplete vendor data – 45% of UK businesses say their technology vendors do not provide full access to emissions data.
- Data quality concerns – 47% of UK businesses are sceptical about the accuracy of vendor-provided emissions data.
- Internal capacity issues – 42% of UK companies say they lack the resources to collect and analyse emissions data.
Accurate data from technology providers is becoming an important factor in organisations’ purchasing decisions. Half of European businesses said they are unlikely to work with a technology vendor that cannot demonstrate reliable emissions reporting.
Emissions reporting and business innovation
Inaccurate emissions data affects compliance and public perception and also impacts business strategy. More than 80% of UK businesses say that poor emissions data limits their ability to innovate and make informed technology investment decisions.
Archana Venkatraman, senior research director for cloud data management at IDC, noted that the trend reflects broader industry challenges. “The report’s findings that accurate emissions reporting has a direct effect on a company’s innovation, mean that organisations need to get their emissions data in order, to not fall behind in a competitive market and invest confidently for innovation-oriented business outcomes.”
Improvements in reporting and accountability
Despite the challenges, there have been improvements in emissions reporting. According to Wasabi’s research, 95% of UK firms believe the accuracy of their technology stack emissions data has improved over the past five years.
Kevin Dunn, VP & GM of EMEA at Wasabi, emphasised the importance of accountability from both businesses and vendors. “The responsibility is on businesses to hold themselves and their vendors accountable. Our 2025 Cloud Storage Index found sustainability to be a top influence when selecting tech providers.”
