Inside the Strategy Room 268. Accounting for carbon: SAP’s Dominik Asam on the CFO’s role
Sep 10, 2025
This week’s guest is Dominik Asam, CFO and Executive Board Member at SAP, where he champions decarbonization. He shares insights on blending financial data with sustainability objectives through a 'Green Ledger.' Dominik discusses the transformative role of CFOs in navigating carbon management and how accurate carbon measurements can be integrated into financial metrics. He also highlights the need for a future-proof data strategy, emphasizing the importance of AI in enhancing both financial and ESG analysis for better decision-making.
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Efficient Frontier For Abatement Spending
- CFOs must find the efficient frontier between carbon abatement and cost to prioritize measures.
- Use cost-per-ton frameworks to sequence initiatives that deliver the biggest carbon reduction per euro spent.
Use Four-Eyes Between Finance And Sustainability
- Cooperate closely between sustainability and finance using a 'four eyes' principle for decisions and market communications.
- Prepare finance teams for assurance demands because disclosure will increasingly need audit-level credibility.
Carbon As A New Corporate Currency
- Treat CO2 as a new currency you must measure precisely to model company value under different price scenarios.
- Quantities matter because prices will vary across geographies and drive financial planning and strategy.