This post is co-authored by Prerana Tirodkar and Annika Prinz, energy and sustainability professionals with deep expertise in decarbonization strategy, carbon reporting, and ESG data management. As part of Tango’s Energy and Sustainability Managed Services team, they help organizations operationalize their net-zero goals through technology solutions that measure GHG emissions, streamline reporting, and drive enterprise-level climate action.
When more than a thousand sustainability leaders gathered in San Jose for VERGE @ Trellis Impact 2025 last week, the energy felt different. The era of high-level pledges and polished ESG promises has given way to something more grounded and important: the operational, financial, and data realities of actually getting to net zero.
Throughout the week, conversations turned from what needs to be done to how it will actually get done. There was a seismic shift from data granularity to optimization, from reporting to resilience, from behavior to impact. Below are five themes that stood out to us.
1. Data granularity vs. optimization: measuring what matters
One question echoed through every session: how much precision is enough?
The consensus: more accurate data isn’t always inherently better – it’s valuable only if it enables better decision-making. Whether refining your emissions factors or expanding your meter coverage, the goal must be to translate data into impact. As one panelist put it, “if that 1% of improvement in data coverage doesn’t move the needle on decarbonization, we’re optimizing the wrong thing”.
For corporate sustainability teams, that often means connecting the dots between the data and business opportunities that will ultimately reduce emissions, reduce operational costs, and drive ROI. If used effectively, data can be a catalyst for change and impact, not just a box checked in reporting.
2. Supplier engagement and the power of standardization
Across industries, the conversation shifted toward the urgent need for sector-specific supplier standards. Every tech firm, brand, and manufacturer is sending its own surveys to the same vendors, creating a slow and fatigued process.
What if, instead, industries aligned on a handful of standardized templates? Real estate already has a proven model with GRESB, which transformed reporting from a burden into a catalyst for performance. GRESB has shown that industry standardization works – it’s now time to scale the model of reporting to ease the burden.
Standardized systems reduce reporting friction and free teams to work on what matters, like projects that reduce emissions and provide cost savings.
3. AI as a transparency multiplier
AI was a hot topic throughout VERGE, but not just for the usual efficiency gains conversation. The real excitement among sustainability teams was around AI as a tool for garnering trust.
Google’s team showcased how NotebookLM can transform static sustainability reports into interactive systems – where stakeholders can explore data, ask questions, and learn in real time. The shift from one-way reporting to two-way engagement could redefine how companies communicate progress and risk. These types of examples showcase how AI can help us accelerate and expand transparency, resulting in more trust from stakeholders in an organization’s sustainability progress.
4. Evolving standards and shared accountability
A major theme at VERGE was the upcoming public consultation on the GHG Protocol’s proposed Scope 2 revisions – arguably one of the most influential updates in corporate carbon accounting. The revisions propose new layers of precision: hourly matching, clearer “deliverability” rules for renewable energy certificates, and updated emission factor hierarchies that better reflect how power actually flows across grids.
As the public consultation process opens, sustainability leaders are watching closely – not just to interpret what companies should do, but to weigh in on what they can do now. The conversations reminded leaders that these changes are still under discussion, not final, and that they can play a role in shaping them. It’s also important to remember that standards matter, but they should not delay progress. Regulations should guide and help progress climate action, not cause delay.
California’s landmark climate disclosure laws (SB 253 and SB 261) were also top of mind, especially as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has delayed finalizing implementation details. But the message at VERGE was clear: companies shouldn’t wait. Organizations that are already tracking and reporting their Scope 1 and 2 emissions are well-positioned for next year’s reporting cycle once CARB finalizes the rules.
As policies ebb and flow, investing in centralized technology systems can ease the uncertainty by simplifying reporting and positioning companies for future compliance.
5. Focus on the bigger picture: from reporting to resilience
One of the most resonant themes from the event was simple, but profound, and took place in Dave Stangis’ keynote: “ESG is a risk metric.”
More than a reporting exercise, ESG helps companies uncover the risks most relevant to their business. For example, physical climate risk – identified through frameworks like the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) – can reveal which properties are at high risk of flooding or wildfires, or which may soon become uninsurable. As one panelist said, “an uninsurable property is, ultimately, an un-investable one”.
As the industry enters its pragmatic phase, organizations are building data systems not just to comply with regulations, but to strengthen resilience. By focusing on material metrics, credible strategies, and measurable returns, they’re using ESG data to protect enterprise value – not just to disclose it.
Final thoughts
We left VERGE @ Trellis Impact feeling energized – not by any lofty pledges, but by the people building and operating the systems that turn those pledges into real progress. Sustainability today isn’t about perfection; it’s about precision where it matters, collaboration that scales, and transparency that earns trust. That’s the work we have ahead – and that’s where Tango helps.
While at the conference, we came across several helpful resources and reports worth exploring – we’re sharing them here:
