As speaker, Yodiwo argued that ESG is shifting from a compliance obligation into a tool for responsible management and everyday operational performance
Athens, June 2026 – Yodiwo took part as a sponsor and speaker at the 5th ESG Universe Forum, held online on 4 June 2026 under the title “Beyond Compliance: Transforming ESG Data into Operational Value.” In a landmark year – as the full application of the CSRD and tighter bank lending criteria turn ESG into a measurable indicator of operational fitness – Yodiwo placed itself at the centre of this year’s debate: how a company moves from ESG as a compliance obligation to ESG as everyday responsible operation and operational efficiency.
Speaking on the panel, Alexandros Maniatopoulos, Founder & General Manager of Yodiwo, urged the market to revisit the stereotype that ESG is primarily a cost. In an era where the available tools are evolving at breakneck speed, he argued, the real question is not whether ESG is done for compliance, but whether it is leveraged as an operational tool that drives both operational excellence and responsible operation – two distinct dimensions, one concerned with the organisation’s performance and growth, the other with its stance toward its stakeholders.
Three pillars of responsible operation
The core of his message was the framework on which Yodiwo builds responsible, ESG-driven operation:
- Materiality from the start. Although double materiality is not yet mandatory for a large share of companies, a business should ask its stakeholders – both internal and external – what they consider material. As Maniatopoulos put it, “if you don’t know what matters, you don’t know what to measure.”
- Continuous measurement. Turning those findings into measurable metrics that are tracked continuously – rather than once a year for the report – is the necessary and sufficient condition for operational efficiency.
- Communicating results. The loop closes when a company returns to its stakeholders: “you told us to do this, we did it, this is how we measured it, and these are the results.” In today’s landscape, an annual report on its own is no longer enough.
From supplier assessment to climate risk management
Maniatopoulos went on to describe how technology lets responsible operation extend across the entire value chain. A genuinely responsible business does not stop at supplier assessment – at “pass or fail” – but upgrades its suppliers, giving them the tools and the know-how to move up a level in their own sustainability journey.
The same logic applies to climate risk. Here, responsible operation goes a step beyond what the framework requires: identifying and assessing risk is not enough on its own – countermeasures must follow. This is where Yodiwo applies continuous monitoring of metrics and artificial intelligence, so that risks and deviations from targets are flagged in real time.
Tools within reach of SMEs
A particular emphasis fell on small and mid-sized enterprises, which often cannot afford to invest tens of thousands of euros in consultants. Through its DIY Sustainability Marketplace, Yodiwo offers tools that automate processes such as double materiality assessment and climate risk assessment with heavy use of AI – letting any company start from scratch and arrive at reporting that keeps it competitive within the supply chain, at low cost.
Three takeaways
Maniatopoulos distilled his message into three points:
“Let’s not limit ourselves to reporting. Technology is not an accessory to ESG – it is the basic prerequisite. And double materiality should not end in a matrix.”
Watch the session
You can watch the full discussion on video here: 5th ESG Universe Forum. Alexandros Maniatopoulos’s panel begins at approximately the 6:18:47 mark — jump straight to it.
