As CEO of Tablecloth, Nelli Garton has observed many companies engaging in sustainability reporting without using the data to guide decisions or create real impact. Her firm aims to change that. The Tablecloth platform consolidates scattered ESG and impact investing metrics from across a business to provide leadership with a comprehensive, actionable picture.
“The real value lies in driving action, not just reporting,” Garton explains. By tailoring data analysis to each client’s priorities and industry—from safety in manufacturing to diversity in tech—Tablecloth transforms sustainability into targeted business intelligence leaders can get behind.
The Importance of Contextualized Data
Most companies engage in some level of ESG and impact investing reporting, but often fail to use that data to drive real change. “One of the biggest challenges that we see is that companies and investors stop at reporting,” Garton says. “They don’t use the information to drive real action, which is where the real value is.”
Tablecloth addresses this issue by facilitating ESG and impact data collection through their centralized platform and providing expert guidance to contextualize that data. The platform streamlines the gathering of this data from across organizations—from HR and ERP systems to facilities management software and Excel spreadsheets–while also ensuring data quality. Consolidating this information sparks crucial conversations across departments and leadership.
Tablecloth further enhances the value of this data by putting these metrics into context with industry benchmarks, community demographics, and other relevant factors. Garton emphasizes that simply aggregating data is not enough. “Every company is different – they have different material factors that affect their business,” she explains. For example, a manufacturing firm needs to track metrics on safety, pay, and waste management while a tech company focuses more on energy usage and diversity.
Data-Driven Decision Making
While ESG and impact data reporting has value, the real power lies in integrating these insights into decision-making processes across the business. “Some of the critiques of ESG are that it has been a marketing ploy,” she says. “If it’s only used for reporting, it is just that.”
Tablecloth helps clients move beyond box-checking to extract tangible value from their sustainability data. One example Garton shares is a company that, after a Tablecloth analysis, discovered their employee injury rates were far higher than industry benchmarks. This led them to re-examine policies around safety and workers’ compensation. After conducting refresher trainings and improving safety communications, they reduced injury rates by 40% in one quarter and have successfully maintained those lower rates.
“That’s a real way in which a company is saving money and avoiding risk,” Garton states. By contextualizing data and enabling data-driven decisions, Tablecloth empowered this client to improve safety, reduce insurance costs, and mitigate risks—showcasing the power of an integrated approach to ESG and impact data.
The Future of Sustainable Action
Garton notes Tablecloth’s mission aligns with a common frustration around corporate sustainability efforts. Reporting alone cannot catalyze change. Numbers lack meaning absent context and commitment. She firmly believes properly harnessed data fosters better business and societal outcomes. Tablecloth endeavors to convert hopeful intentions into measurable impact for clients open to that journey.
The potential exists to drive progress on pressing global priorities if we collectively move beyond box-checking to enacting strategy. The power lies in how that information guides what happens next. Without follow-through, momentum dissipates. With aligned leadership, data can transform organizations through enlightened and ethical decision-making.
To learn more about Nelli Garton and Tablecloth, visit her website here.
