Just in time for the global climate-fest in Copenhagen — and not coincidentally, I’m sure — SAP today released SAP BusinessObjects Sustainability Performance Management (SPM), an application that helps companies set sustainability goals and objectives, measure and communicate performance, and reduce data collection costs and errors.

The application is the first to receive certification from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), according to SAP’s announcement. GRI is an Amsterdam-based organization that has developed a widely used sustainability reporting framework.

BusinessObjects SPM is not SAP’s first venture into the sustainability arena; the software maker already offers an on-demand product for carbon impact management.

Features of the new app include:

• Flexible data collection: the product can pull key performance indicator (KPI) data from a variety of SAP and non-SAP systems, or can be used as a stand-alone solution.

• Defined reporting protocols and central KPI library. BusinessObjects SPM can be used for multiple sustainability reporting protocols, including GRI’s, or users can supply their own metrics. All KPIs are maintained in a central library than can easily be shared, searched and filtered.

• Performance analytics. The product includes planning workbooks, graphical reports, dashboards and scorecards.