Global climate disclosure rules are reshaping how businesses manage greenhouse gas emissions. With new requirements such as California SB 253, Europe’s CSRD, and more, companies now face the most significant sustainability reporting shift in decades. In addition, thousands of companies have created Science-Based Targets and are moving from target creation to implementation of GHG reduction strategies. Mobile communications has a role to play in supporting GHG reduction efforts.Why Text Messaging Can Reduce Communication-Related Emissions
There are a number of core differences between email and text that lead to lower emissions. Texts require far less data transmission and fewer network intermediaries than email. Messages are also typically short and don’t use as many attachments or embedded images, further reducing energy use. Email often incurs storage costs (servers, backups, archives) over long durations, whereas texting is typically more transient. When you consider these differences at scale, the impacts really add up, giving text a clear structural advantage from an emissions standpoint. It becomes an effective carbon reduction pillar.
For example, text messages use around 0.014 g CO₂e for a simple SMS. This can vary depending on if attachments are included but is still considerably lower than email (Figure 1). If your company sends 100,000 communications a month, this could add up to around 33 t CO₂e difference (for that month’s emissions). Depending on the volume of messaging, the emissions reductions can add up while delivering significant benefits across other areas such as economic, compliance, customer satisfaction, and more. The financial benefits in particular are tremendous, with SMS delivering $21-$42 return on investment for every $1 spent. For companies with considerable stakeholder outreach needs to customers, donors, or employees, these emissions, and dollars, can be meaningful over time.
How Marlimar by Clearyst Can Improve ESG Data Collection
There are additional sustainability applications beyond the emission savings of text versus email. Anyone who has conducted a greenhouse gas inventory, or worked on data collection and management, knows the challenges inherent in gathering good, consistent data across stakeholders. Emails, spreadsheets, and data collection tools will continue to grow and be needed for many data types, but there are myriad instances where an intelligent text platform could aid in data collection. In particular, the system’s ability to have bi-directional operability for data gathering surveys, communications preference sharing, and more makes it a winning solution in the sustainability data space.
A few of the potential ways it could be leveraged include:
Gathering regular energy, water, and waste data across facilities from facility managers, allowing for regular analysis to inform decision making, rather than waiting for billing cycles.
Receiving real-time waste data from manufacturers, enabling companies to identify waste drivers to better reduce waste while saving money and emissions.
Conducting surveys to collect data on topics such as employee commuting or customer behavior for Greenhouse Gas Protocol Category 11 (Use of Sold Products).
Soliciting supplier data for Scope 3 emissions to improve data accuracy, transparency, and timeliness. It could also allow for supplier feedback mechanisms, to ensure clarifying questions get answered quickly, reducing lead times for data collection.
Integration into procurement or ESG data systems, smoothing the flow of data.
Studies from the health field have found that text messages are more likely to receive responses for sensitive topics than other forms of communication, making them an ideal method for gathering behavioral data for greenhouse gas emissions and beyond. Employees and customers can be reluctant to provide use data, concerned about perception of their actions, but text can provide a more streamlined way to gather the data with a greater likelihood of response. Furthermore, by gathering data in real time, or near real-time, via text, the behavioral data will typically be more reliable as recall bias is reduced or eliminated.
Texts can go beyond data gathering, to sharing messages on reducing energy or water use, recycling guidelines, sustainable food choices, and more. Once data is gathered, the platform can support reduction initiatives linked with the results, tailored to each stakeholder. It can be a powerful driver for change. In addition to making recommendations to stakeholders, the platform serves as a critical feedback loop to receive insight on how an organization can do better, from customer service to emissions to waste reduction. Two of the best ways to drive results are message personalization unique to the recipient and simple bi-directional feedback mechanisms giving the end user a voice.
These are but a few potential ways that texting campaigns can support reduced emissions and better data management. Beyond carbon, there are social implications for companies’ ESG journeys as well.
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