Gprnt announces world’s first nationwide digital ESG utility

Companies have increasingly been looking to invest in long-term sustainability initiatives. However, obtaining reports of their own utility metrics has long been a tedious, weeks-long process. That might soon change — Gprnt has announced the successful development of the world’s first digital Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) utility, allowing companies to automatically generate their own sustainability metrics using data sourced from the government.

A local sustainability reporting and data platform company, Gprnt was founded in 2020 as an initiative named Project Greenprint. It was officially spun off from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, launching again in 2023 as a digital platform of the Global Financial Trade Network (GFTN).

Ease of use

On May 22, Gprnt officially unveiled their world’s first nationwide utility, confirming their successful integration of government infrastructure into the platform. Now, companies will be able to retrieve their utilities data directly from government sources — PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency and the Energy Market Authority — to generate their own sustainability report on the platform in seconds.

The key to its speedy data retrieval is Gprnt’s integration with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore’s (GovTech) MyInfo business service, allowing SMEs to use their Corppass accounts to securely retrieve data.

The platform provides companies with statistic packs that they can use if they are unsure of what to view, with the Basic Pack containing 25 “base” statistics.

After being prompted, companies can then choose to use Corppass to automatically retrieve data and populate the fields, with Gprnt auto-generating decarbonisation charts for the company’s Scope 1 and 2 Emissions.

Finally, a sustainability report is generated which contains recommended guidelines for emission reduction, including suggestions for banking solutions at the end. Throughout the process, company representatives are guided with simple Yes/No questions for easier understanding and ease of use.

“Gprnt is a game-changer for Singapore companies’ sustainability reporting,” said Ravi Menon, Chairman of the GFTN Board of Directors and Singapore’s Ambassador for Climate Action, noting that though many companies’ sustainability reporting relies on accurate and updated utilities data, compiling and utilising this data is often a long, costly process for SMEs.

“It will help them [businesses] better manage the tensions between dealing with heightened cost pressures while building strategic capabilities to thrive in the green economy of the future.”

Seed funding complete

In addition to GovTech’s successful integration, Gprnt announced that it has successfully completed its seed funding, with funds being invested in three areas: the strengthening of Gpnt’s digital infrastructure, research into AI capabilities, and the onboarding of partners within the region.

Two of the platform’s partners are Ant International and MUFG Bank, financial institutions who have pledged themselves to supporting Gprnt’s efforts in scaling and simplifying sustainability reporting.

Both have committed to integrating Gprnt into their digital ecosystems as part of efforts to continually support their clients.

“Gprnt’s ability to re-imagine how companies can integrate sustainability data and reporting into their business operations is outstanding,” said Taichi Murakami, Deputy Head of Global Corporate & Investment Banking at MUFG Bank. “This first-of-its kind utilities data feature is just another example of how the digital platform continues to scale new heights through the pioneering of innovative and intelligent solutions in service of Asia’s energy transition.”

What’s in store for the future

When asked about future plans, Lionel Wong, Executive Director of Gprnt, expressed interest in expanding to overseas markets. “We aspired to deliver nationwide capability, but we didn’t want its use cases to be constrained to Singapore,” he says, citing Gprnt’s flexibility in data entry. “It is designed to operate even with no preexisting nationwide data infrastructure. Singpass just streamlines the process for us.”

Gprnt’s successful integration and funding is a reminder to all of us that there are ways to make sustainability reporting easier, decrease unnecessary emissions from companies and protect our environment better.