Findings from new research commissioned by Wasabi Technologies, the hot cloud storage company, reveal that nearly half (43%) of UK business leaders are afraid to learn the full extent of their emissions data, even though 62% fear public backlash if their emissions are too high.

As the tech industry’s emissions are being scrutinised and regulatory pressure looms, Wasabi surveyed 1,200 business decision makers across the UK, France and Germany to understand how companies are reacting to the sustainability of their tech stack.

While businesses agree that customers and the public expect accurate emissions reporting, 51% are concerned they are going to lose customers if they fully disclose their emissions data.

Inaccurate Emissions Data Stifling Innovation

Scope 3 emissions – those that originate indirectly from value chain activities, like the emissions produced by a company’s technology infrastructure – often represent the largest share of a company’s carbon footprint. This makes the external tech stack a crucial focus for sustainability efforts.

However, only 66% of European businesses think that they can paint an accurate picture of their tech stack emissions, with this figure slightly increasing to 70% for UK businesses.

Inaccurate sustainability data delays investment in new technology, makes informed decisions about new technology impossible, or causes a reduction in the use of technology that can’t be accurately reported.

More than eight in ten UK companies (82%) believe that it stifles innovation, while 42% of UK businesses report that there have been delays in investing in new technology because of uncertainty around the environmental impact.

Tech Vendors Blamed for not Providing Accurate and Trustworthy Data
Three main challenges are holding companies back from painting an accurate picture of their tech stack Scope 3 emissions, all to do with their tech vendors and internal silos, according to the research.

Primarily, 45% of UK businesses feel that they do not get full access to emissions data from their tech vendors. Beyond this, almost half of UK businesses (47%) do not fully trust the quality and accuracy of the data they receive from tech vendors.

Finally, there is also an internal challenge to consider, with 42% of UK companies saying that they do not have enough internal resources to capture and analyse the data to paint an accurate picture.

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According to Wasabi, technology providers need to accurately report on their environmental impact, as the findings show that one in two European businesses would most likely not purchase from a technology partner or vendor that could not demonstrate accurate reporting of emissions data.

“We have seen a lot of recent sustainability progress, as 95% of UK 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.”