SustainabilityUom Metadata Type in SFDX

Architectural Overview#

The SustainabilityUom metadata type represents the declarative configuration of units of measure (UOM) within Salesforce Net Zero Cloud. Enterprise ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) compliance demands rigorous tracking and auditing of greenhouse gas (GHG) Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. Global organizations frequently operate across international boundaries with differing measurement metrics—such as metric tonnes, kilowatt-hours, British thermal units (MMBtu), cubic meters, and gallons.

Architecturally, SustainabilityUom registers recognized measurement units into the Net Zero Cloud calculation engine. It classifies whether a unit applies to stationary assets (e.g., factories, commercial real estate), vehicle assets (e.g., corporate vehicle fleets, logistics trucks), supply chain products, or waste management operations. Codifying units of measure as metadata allows sustainability architects to promote standardized ESG configurations cleanly across enterprise orgs without manual setup in production.

Directory and File Conventions#

In SFDX source projects, SustainabilityUom files reside in the sustainabilityUoms directory:

Key Metadata Fields#

The SustainabilityUom metadata type schema contains classification toggles and descriptive labels:

Declarative XML and Package Manifest Examples#

Below is a declarative SustainabilityUom configuration establishing a custom Megawatt-hour unit for stationary facilities:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SustainabilityUom xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <fullName>MWh_Custom</fullName>
    <label>Megawatt-Hour Custom</label>
    <description>Stationary facility electrical consumption unit of measure for enterprise datacenters.</description>
    <isStationaryAssetUom>true</isStationaryAssetUom>
    <isVehicleAssetUom>false</isVehicleAssetUom>
    <isProductUom>false</isProductUom>
    <isWasteUom>false</isWasteUom>
    <isProtected>false</isProtected>
</SustainabilityUom>

Include the component in package.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <types>
        <members>MWh_Custom</members>
        <name>SustainabilityUom</name>
    </types>
    <version>68.0</version>
</Package>

Retrieval and Deployment#

Use the Salesforce CLI to deploy and retrieve SustainabilityUom components:

# Retrieve all sustainability units of measure
sf project retrieve start --metadata "SustainabilityUom:*"

# Deploy a specific unit of measure to Net Zero Cloud environment
sf project deploy start --metadata "SustainabilityUom:MWh_Custom" --target-org nzc-staging

# Query deployed units of measure via Tooling API
sf data query --query "SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel FROM SustainabilityUom" --use-tooling-api

Senior Architect Considerations#

1. Licensing Prerequisites: Net Zero Cloud requires specific permission set licenses. Ensure CI scratch org definitions include the "netZeroCloud" feature before deploying UOM definitions.
2. Audit Trailing: Avoid altering boolean asset eligibility flags on existing SustainabilityUom components in production if historical carbon footprint records already reference them.
3. Data Integrity: Verify that integration pipelines feeding IoT or utility smart meter data map cleanly to the registered UOM labels to prevent ingestion calculation exceptions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of SustainabilityUom in Net Zero Cloud?

SustainabilityUom defines declarative units of measure utilized in emissions calculations for stationary assets, vehicle fleets, products, and waste streams.

Which folder stores SustainabilityUom files in SFDX?

They are stored in force-app/main/default/sustainabilityUoms with the .sustainabilityUom-meta.xml file extension.

What asset calculation flags are supported on SustainabilityUom?

It supports boolean flags including isStationaryAssetUom, isVehicleAssetUom, isProductUom, and isWasteUom.

Which licenses are prerequisites for deploying SustainabilityUom?

Target organizations must have the Net Zero Cloud permission set license and appropriate carbon accounting features provisioned.