European firms wary of full disclosure on tech emissions data

Nearly half of Europe's business leaders have concerns about discovering the full extent of their technology stack's emissions, according to new research commissioned by Wasabi Technologies.

The study, which surveyed 1,200 business decision makers across the UK, France and Germany, highlights significant hesitation among companies to fully engage with the details of their carbon footprint. Wasabi Technologies' 2025 Emissions Blindspots Report found that 47% of respondents are afraid to learn the full extent of their own emissions data. Meanwhile, 61% said they fear a public backlash if their emissions are discovered to be too high.

Companies expressed awareness of the increasing scrutiny being placed on the technology sector regarding environmental impact, along with the regulatory pressure that is emerging across Europe. The findings suggest an uneasy relationship between the need for transparency and the potential risks associated with full disclosure. More than half (51%) of respondents said they worry they may lose customers if they are completely open about their emissions data.

Impact on innovation

Accurate reporting of emissions data remains an elusive goal for many. Although 66% of those surveyed believed they could provide an accurate picture of their tech stack emissions, this left one-third uncertain about their ability to report. These uncertainties have implications across business strategy and growth. The survey revealed that 77% of companies believe that inaccurate emissions data stifles innovation. This inaccuracy has tangible impacts, with one in three organisations reporting delays in investing in new technology owing to uncertainty over environmental impacts.

"The 2025 Emissions Blindspots Report from Wasabi Technologies offers interesting insights about how European business leaders are feeling about reporting their carbon emissions. The results mirror larger trends IDC is seeing across the industry such as concerns around accuracy, consistency and quality of sustainability data," says Archana Venkatraman, Senior Research Director, Cloud Data Management at IDC. "IDC research shows that innovation is one of the top three priorities for business leaders today, alongside resilience and efficiency. The report's findings that accurate emissions reporting has a direct effect on a company's innovation, means 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."

Pressure on tech vendors

Scope 3 emissions - those stemming indirectly from a company's value chain, including technology infrastructure - are frequently the largest contributors to overall corporate carbon emissions. Accurately reporting on these emissions is seen as critical, but companies face difficulties largely related to their relationships with technology vendors and internal resource limitations.

Almost half of surveyed businesses felt they do not receive full access to emissions data from their tech vendors. Additionally, 44% reported doubts about the quality and accuracy of emissions data provided by these partners. There were also challenges inside organisations themselves, with 39% indicating they lack sufficient internal resources to effectively capture and analyse emissions data in detail.

Accurate and transparent reporting from technology vendors is becoming an expectation rather than a preference. Half of the surveyed businesses indicated they would likely not purchase from technology partners unable to provide trustworthy data on emissions.

Progress and accountability

"We have seen a lot of recent sustainability progress, as nine in ten businesses say that the accuracy of their tech stack emissions reporting has improved over the past five years", says Kevin Dunn, VP & GM EMEA, Wasabi. "Ultimately, 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. At Wasabi we are working hard towards creating more environmentally friendly cloud storage technology, while also ensuring our customers get full transparency over their footprint."

The survey responses came predominantly from organisations operating within the regulatory scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive at the time of questioning. The results reflect a landscape in which regulation, customer expectations and business objectives are converging to push for more robust environmental transparency.

The Wasabi research was conducted in November 2024 by Sapio across companies in the UK, France and Germany, targeting decision-makers with insight into their company's Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data.

As businesses in Europe take further steps toward sustainability in their operations and technology adoption, accurate emissions measurement and reporting are set to remain at the centre of industry discussion and future decision-making.