What is Carbon accounting software?
Carbon accounting software, also called carbon management software, is a cloud-based tool that allows your company to measure, manage and reduce its carbon footprint. The tool allows you to calculate and record direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) emissions in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, as well as indirect emissions outside your company (Scope 3).
The platform provides GHG inventory, accounting, and reporting, as well as ways to effectively communicate your progress on business goals to your key stakeholders. The GHG emissions software can be linked to your stakeholder management software to ensure you meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations, improve transparency, and protect your company from reputational damage.
Why is Carbon accounting software important?
If we do not dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the next two decades, temperatures could rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. To prevent such a catastrophe, carbon accounting and greenhouse gas emissions reduction must be on the agenda of businesses around the world.
Greenhouse gas emissions management software is an important system for calculating the amount of carbon emissions your company and its value chain emit. You need to know your company’s total annual carbon emissions in order to assign responsibility and set clear goals. Using technology is critical to consolidate the data and turn it into actionable insights that help you reduce emissions.
What are the most common features of Carbon accounting software?
Carbon accounting software is a cloud-based software-as-a-service platform that provides a wide range of data management and calculation capabilities to support your rigorous emissions inventory and GHG reporting based on ADEME, DEFRA, IEA, EPA, IPCC and GHG Protocol standards.
Meet the standards
The platform can help you manage and minimize greenhouse gas emissions in your business. It also helps you meet or exceed local, state, federal and international regulations that mandate GHG emissions standards such as ADEME, Defra, IEA, EPA, IPCC and the GHG Protocol.
Integrate with third-party systems
You can integrate your GHG emissions software with your company’s ERP system and other business systems to manage and minimize your GHG emissions.
Cover all scopes
You can accurately calculate Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions based on a variety of protocols and cover all your geographic areas.
Appropriate emission factors
You can use a library of emission factors based on your activity, gas emitted, geographic location, and date to improve your data collection and enable accurate calculations for your entire organization.
Streamline your data collection
The platform allows you to streamline your data collection. You no longer have to send and manage dozens of spreadsheets and update sheets one at a time. Data can even be linked to your existing systems without the need for manual data entry.
Scenario Analysis
By using carbon accounting software for scenario analysis and data integration, you can easily compare and contrast the costs of different abatement measures in different areas of your business.
Who are the most common buyers of greenhouse gas emissions management software?
Stakeholders and investors demand high ESG and sustainability performance from companies they work with. That’s why companies in all industries need to use carbon accounting and GHG emissions management software to achieve their ESG goals across their operations and supply chain.
2023 top 10 carbon accounting software solutions
For more software solutions that fit your needs, budget and location, see our dedicated Carbon accounting software directory.