By Sustainable Square
When people talk about ESG, they often talk about standards, disclosures, and frameworks.
But we’ve learned something different over the last 13 years:
ESG isn’t just technical. It’s deeply human.
Behind every ESG report is a team stretched too thin, trying to gather data from people who are busy, unsure, or not even aware they’re part of the process. It’s emails that don’t get answered. Spreadsheets copied from last year. Disclosures that get submitted days before the deadline.
We know because we’ve lived it — as consultants, as sustainability strategists, and now, as product builders.
The Truth No One Says Out Loud
Most ESG software was built for output — not for the people who do the work.
These tools focus on what the final report should look like. But they don’t ask:
- How does that report actually get made?
- Who collects the data?
- Do they understand the questions?
- Do they have time?
- Do they even know where to start?
In our region, especially across the GCC and Global South, these questions matter.
Teams are growing, expectations are rising, but internal systems aren’t keeping up.
And that’s why we built SQUARELY — not to make ESG look better on paper, but to make ESG work better for the people behind it.
Building with Our Clients, Not Just for Them
SQUARELY didn’t come from theory. It came from real teams trying to meet real expectations.
We started with the basics — roles, permissions, structure.
Then we watched. Listened. Adjusted.
When users forgot to submit data? We built reminders.
When they didn’t know what to enter? We built AI review and visual feedback.
When they weren’t sure what the disclosure even meant? We trained our AI Assistant to explain it — in their language, not ours.
We added history tracking, data visualization, drafting tools, and more. But we didn’t do it all at once. We did it alongside our users, one problem at a time.
The Turning Point
It wasn’t when we launched at COP28.
It wasn’t when our early adopters hit 200+ users.
It was when someone said this to us, in a client feedback call:
“For the first time, I feel like I know what’s going into our report — and why.”
That’s when we knew SQUARELY wasn’t just working.
It was giving people back control.
What We Believe
We believe ESG should be a shared responsibility — not a specialized burden.
We believe that good data starts with clear processes, not pressure.
We believe that the people doing ESG deserve tools that teach, support, and evolve — not just collect.
And we believe that if we build this right, we can shift the culture around sustainability in companies — from reactive to resilient.
What Comes Next
SQUARELY is ready for scale.
But more importantly, it’s ready to stay human.
We’re building agentic workflows, intelligent data entry, and support for the messy, real-life structures of modern organizations.
But our north star hasn’t changed.
We’re here to make ESG work — not just as a system, but as a practice rooted in clarity, care, and collaboration.
Because sustainability isn’t just about what you say in a report.
It’s about what you build underneath it.
And we’re building something that lasts.