A Buyer’s Guide to a Sustainability Platform

A Buyer’s Guide to a Sustainability Platform for Green Fuels: Key Features to Look For 

The global sustainability platforms market was valued at around USD 1.3 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow at nearly 23% annually through 2029, according to IoT Analytics. This growth is fuelled by new regulatory requirements and corporate sustainability commitments, especially in industries pivoting to green fuels and renewable energy. 

A sustainability platform does more than tally emissions. It integrates production tracking, digital twins, verifiable certificates, carbon credit tokenisation, and full supply chain traceability. These capabilities, crucial for avoiding greenwashing and proving the authenticity of green products, are features many organisations don’t even realise they need until they face compliance audits or market scrutiny.  

With so many solutions on the market, how do you identify the right sustainability platform for your organisation? This guide breaks down the key features to look for and the unique considerations for the green fuels sector. 
 

What Is a Sustainability Platform? 

A sustainability platform is a central system that helps organisations measure, manage, and improve their environmental performance. Carbon accounting is one component, but the strongest platforms also track production, renewable feedstocks, generate compliance-ready reports, and create trust with digital proof of sustainability. 

For  green fuels, this  lifecycle tracking of products like bioethanol, biodiesel, or green hydrogen; linking operational records to certifications, and creating  verifiable evidence for regulators, investors, and customers. 
 
 

Why a Sustainability Platform Matters for Green Fuels 

Regulations demand it. 

The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is rolling out from 2024–2026, requiring around 50,000 companies to disclose detailed sustainability and emissions data. Australia’s Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS), with mandatory climate disclosure started in 2025, gradually expanding to capture a wider base of companies by 2027. For fuel producers and energy-intensive industries, this means greater scrutiny of emissions data, supply chain claims, and renewable fuel use. 

Traceability frameworks including ISCC PLUS and RSB are becoming the key certification frameworks for green fuels across both compliance and voluntary markets. Every stage of the production chain  must be certified, and without  robust emissions and production tracking, companies risk failed audits, fines, and restricted market access. 
 

Markets expect it. 

According to EY’s 2024 Institutional Investor Survey, 88% of investors have increased their use of ESG data in decision-making. In the green fuels sector, verifiable origin and carbon-intensity data are now competitive differentiators. 
 

Operations depend on it. 

Tracking output in real time, by batch, site, or feedstock type, gives companies a defensible edge. Production tracking connects operational data (e.g., volume produced, feedstock source, energy input, emissions intensity) to certification and compliance frameworks. This not only smooths audits and regulatory filings but also builds market confidence. Buyers can verify that the exact fuel volumes they purchase match certified, sustainably produced batches, reducing the risk of double counting and enhancing tradability in carbon credit and guarantee-of-origin schemes. 
 

It’s a competitive edge. 

Emissions and production tracking do more than satisfy compliance rules, they highlight efficiency gaps,  and open doors to premium product prices and other incentives. A 2024 BCG survey found that one in four companies pursuing emissions reduction targets reported direct financial gains. In green fuels, robust tracking also determines who accesses premium markets, locks in long-term offtake agreements, and avoids exposure to escalating carbon pricing.