From reporting to reality: how UCB makes sustainability a core commitment

The European Commission is adjusting its sustainability reporting rules, easing the administrative burden on companies. Bio-pharma company UCB is seizing this opportunity to fully integrate social and environmental KPIs alongside financial goals in performance measurement and automated reporting.

The European Commission’s Green Deal sent a mild shockwave through corporate boardrooms. Since then, large companies are now required to report not only on financial results, but also on detailed and substantiated sustainability performance, both qualitative and quantitative. A new layer of complexity in already challenging economic times.

“In February, the Commission acknowledged that the pace was intense," says Peter Van den Spiegel, Partner at KPMG. "The Omnibus proposal gives certain groups, such as subsidiaries and non-EU companies, extra time, and introduces a lighter reporting standard for smaller players."

Véronique Toully, Global Head of Sustainability at UCB, hopes the adjustment won't dilute the ambition, but reflects a needed dose of realism: “Everyone agrees on the importance of clear ESG regulation, but it must remain workable - especially for SMEs. That’s even more crucial for companies with complex international operations. Europe wants to lead on sustainability, but we also need to ensure businesses can make that transition competitively, for themselves and their value chains.”

Well ahead of the Green Deal, UCB had already taken steps to understand its broader footprint. “Our first double materiality analysis in 2019 helped us identify the levers to create the most meaningful societal impact,” says Toully.

That initial exercise required a significant amount of manual work. Today, the reporting process is increasingly automated, says Pieter Deurinck, Head of Digital Technology Strategy & Solutions at UCB. “We’ve built a robust system that lays the groundwork for unlocking more value from our data. Thanks to the double materiality analysis, we knew which data to collect and which sources to connect. Our system integrates multiple layers and technologies. It’s crucial to make this scalable and consistently reliable. Even as you automate and evolve, your data must remain accurate, so the calculations continue to hold.”

UCB partnered with KPMG on this initiative. “We supported the setup of the data platform, the process, and the governance structure to enable an integrated approach to data collection and reporting,” says Peter Van den Spiegel. “For each area, we assessed where automation made sense, considering cost-benefit, data maturity, and technical feasibility. The close collaboration between IT and sustainability was truly decisive here. It’s only through that alignment that you can build a system that’s reliable, useful, and future-ready.”

UCB aims to align performance measurement and reporting as closely as possible. “We’re ambitious but pragmatic,” explains Toully. “Our teams focus on delivering results, and reporting is a natural outcome of their work, not a goal in itself. We have global dashboards for management and are developing tailored dashboards for teams at various levels across the company, including those in different countries. By giving them timely access to their performance data through automation, we can drive greater impact.”

The next step in the process is smartly leveraging AI. “Once the fundamentals are in place, AI opens up new possibilities,” says Van den Spiegel. “From automatically generating report texts to detecting anomalies or inconsistencies, AI helps us gain insights faster, avoid errors, and make processes more efficient and sustainable. Less manual work, with more room for people to truly add value.”

The adjustment of European obligations does not mean sustainability is losing importance, the three experts emphasize. “The Commission carefully weighed the pros and cons and opted for a more nuanced approach,” claims Van den Spiegel. “Sustainability remains a top priority, but it’s equally about performance and future-proofing your business.”

This article was created in collaboration with De Tijd and l'Echo.