Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance is moving rapidly from a voluntary ambition to a contractual requirement across global infrastructure. As owners, investors and regulators demand evidence rather than intent, the construction sector is turning to digital tools that can provide measurable, auditable and trusted data. In this conversation with Simon Foulds, Bentley Systems’ Regional Executive and Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Nathan Marsh, explores how digital construction technologies are enabling verified ESG outcomes, addressing investor scepticism and expanding measurement beyond carbon to wider dimensions such as social value, biodiversity and resilience.
The shift from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’ ESG compliance is reshaping delivery models across infrastructure. Marsh notes that major projects have long understood where carbon is embedded or emitted, but the industry has struggled with the final and most important stage: proving that reductions are real, permanent and traceable. Digital tools are now closing that gap, creating a framework where ESG performance is measured through consistent data, continuous monitoring and clear evidence.
Digital tools enabling transparent carbon measurement
Marsh explains that effective carbon management can be broken into three stages: identifying where carbon sits in an asset or process, reducing it through targeted interventions, and proving that those reductions have been achieved. This last component, verification, has traditionally relied on self-reported metrics, which can vary in quality and format.
Bentley’s digital twin platform, iTwin, offers integrated carbon analysis capabilities currently being used on major EMEA and global infrastructure projects. These tools allow project teams to locate carbon hotspots, model reduction strategies and generate evidence that those reductions are real. Marsh highlights the importance of keeping the technology simple and focused on fundamentals: find it, reduce it, prove it.
This approach reinforces a growing demand in the sector for digital ESG measurement tools that provide traceable data across the asset lifecycle. The ability to translate complex datasets into clear visualisations is becoming central to decision-making. Marsh notes that digital twins help users interpret the location and scale of carbon emissions, track progress and communicate outcomes in a way that is easier to understand than lengthy reports alone.
Ensuring consistency across projects
Beyond individual assets, organisations are looking for ways to transfer learning and best practice across programmes. According to Marsh, digital tools make ESG performance repeatable and scalable by establishing consistent baselines and standardising methods for measurement. This approach extends across multiple ESG dimensions, including social value.
For example, social value measurement, such as jobs created, upskilling initiatives, increased access to services or economic uplift in underserved areas, can be integrated into digital platforms. By capturing these metrics in a structured way, infrastructure organisations can demonstrate value not just to a project, but to wider communities and local economies.
Addressing greenwashing concerns through verifiable data
Investor scepticism towards greenwashing remains a challenge in infrastructure reporting. Marsh argues that transparency and verification are central to addressing these concerns. For ESG claims to be credible, they must be measurable, time-bound and auditable.
Digital construction tools support this by creating clear baselines that acknowledge imperfections but provide an honest starting point. As performance improves, project owners can publish new data that reflects verified progress. Marsh also emphasises the importance of third-party audits and accreditation, noting that external review strengthens confidence in the data and the systems producing it.
Visualisation again plays a key role. While datasets are essential, many stakeholders find images, models and scenario simulations more intuitive. Digital twins enable this by combining data with spatial context, making ESG outcomes easier to interpret, validate and communicate.
Expanding ESG measurement: social value, biodiversity and resilience
Although carbon reduction remains a priority, Marsh stresses that all ESG dimensions can benefit from digital measurement and tracking. The relevance of each metric depends on project location, context and user needs. Digital construction tools must therefore be flexible enough to reflect local and regional priorities.
Social value metrics may include employment opportunities, economic distribution, access to essential services, or improvements in public safety. These indicators directly affect the lived experience of both project teams and end users.
Biodiversity tracking can be supported through predictive analytics, emissions mapping, air quality monitoring, remote sensing and habitat improvement analysis. These datasets help project teams develop targeted interventions and monitor environmental impact over time.
Resilience, a growing focus for Bentley and the wider sector, is increasingly being measured through digital means. Metrics such as system downtime, redundancy and recovery times can be assessed and modelled through digital twins. By running predictive simulations, project teams can identify risks early and intervene before issues arise. This proactive approach increases certainty and strengthens the long-term performance of infrastructure assets.
A data-driven path to trustworthy ESG delivery
The construction sector is moving into a period where ESG outcomes must be demonstrated, not declared. Digital construction tools, including carbon analysis platforms, digital twins and integrated ESG tracking systems, are now essential for providing credible, consistent and auditable data.
Marsh’s insights reflect a wider shift across the industry towards structured, transparent and evidence-based reporting. As ESG expectations continue to grow, smart infrastructure will play a central role in enabling trustworthy claims, replicable performance and resilient, future-ready assets.
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