Businesses have started to become more and more environmentally conscious. One way of tracking the greenhouse gas emissions of businesses is through carbon accounting software. This software helps companies to track their greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately reduce their environmental impact.
This blog post will discuss the ten best carbon accounting software programs of 2023!
What is Carbon Accounting Software?
Carbon accounting software is a program that helps businesses track their greenhouse gas emissions. This information can be used to enable enterprises to reduce their environmental impact.
How does Carbon Accounting Software Work?
Carbon accounting software typically works by tracking a business’s energy usage. This information is then used to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas emissions the business produces.
What are the Benefits of Using Carbon Accounting Software?
There are many benefits of using carbon accounting software. Some of these benefits include:
- It helps businesses track their emissions.
- It helps businesses reduce their environmental impact.
- It supports businesses in meeting emissions goals.
- It can be used to report a company’s emissions.
- It helps businesses save money.
Glossary of Terms Related to Carbon Accounting
- Carbon footprint: The amount of greenhouse gas emissions that a business produces.
- Climate change: A long-term change in the Earth’s climate.
- Greenhouse gas: A gas that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.
- Emissions: The release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- Reporting: Documenting and sharing information about a company’s emissions.
- Reducing emissions: Taking action to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that a business produces.
- Carbon accounting software: A program that helps companies to track their greenhouse gas emissions.
How do You Choose the Right Carbon Accounting Software for Your Business?
When choosing a carbon accounting software program, you should keep a few things in mind. Some of these factors include:
- The size of your business
- Your emissions goals
- The type of data you need to track
- How often do you need to report your emissions
- The cost of the software
Here is the list of carbon accounting software
1. Persefoni
Persefoni is one of the market’s most famous climate disclosure and carbon management software. It is popular because of its simple and elegant user interface.
In addition, it has a critical relationship with global industry heads like Brain, Workiva, SCSK, CGI, Hitachi, and Patch.
The software is known for its scalability and support and is used by Fortune 500 organizations.
Features
- Audit quality carbon accounting
- Financed emissions calculation
- Climate impact benchmarking module
- Climate trajectory modeling module
- Sustainability reporting and disclosers
Screenshots of Persefoni
Pricing
Pricing details are not given publicly by the vendor.
Likes
- Prior technical knowledge is not required to calculate your company’s carbon footprint.
- It cooperates with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and hence makes easy calculations of Scope 1, 2, and 3 inventory.
- It provides an easy-to-use interface and endless support for users.
- You can easily view the calculation frameworks, formulas, and emission factors with its CO2e ledger.
- You can easily maintain the emission factors set by the IPCC, IEA, EPA, and DEFRA.
- It provides easy configuration and deployment.
- The Persefoni team helps in a way to set up your carbon footprint.
Dislikes
- The user interface is complex for beginners.
- You can find a few glitches on spreadsheets.
- Waste generation could be better with this tool.
- Limited life cycle analysis for specific products.
- The Naics code classification process is time-consuming.
- A detailed checklist is needed for all the necessary data.
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Supported languages | English, Japanese |
| Support | Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base |
| Training | Webinars, Documentation, Videos |
| Customer ratings | G2: 5.0 out of 5 (1+reviews) |
User opinion
It is one of the best carbon management platforms for developing visualization and emission-tracking solutions to incorporate emission reduction.
With this solution, you can track your error report and save time. As the ERP of Carbon, the Persefoni platform provides users with a single source of carbon truth across their organization.
2. IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite
IBM environment intelligence suite offers a comprehensive suite of software for carbon accounting and emissions management with the help of AI capabilities.
The IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite allows organizations to track, report, and analyze their greenhouse gas emissions.
Features
- Streamline, automate, and operationalize carbon accounting
- Stationary emission API
- Fugitive emissions API
- Mobile emissions
- Location-based emissions
- Market-based emissions
- Transport and distribution emissions
Screenshot of IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite
Pricing
It offers three types of pricing
Essentials
- It charges $500 per month
Standard
- It charges $5000 per month
Premium
- It charges $8750 per month
Likes
- It provides built-in, AI-driven augmentation capabilities.
- Automates data conversion using APIs.
- Automatic updation of data points.
- It helps establish disaster-resilient environments through data-driven analytics and decisions.
- It has a powerful and comprehensive platform for managing and analyzing environmental data.
- It provides options and access to organizations to customize their dashboards.
- It reduces disruption with environmental intelligence.
- It is easy to use and navigate.
Dislikes
- Its cost is so high that small companies cannot afford it.
- It has complex features so that only experts can handle this platform.
- It will not provide 100% data accuracy.
- Its premium services can be expensive.
- It has some screen crashes and loading issues.
- Requires a skilled workforce to operate and analyze the data.
- High learning curve for users.
- Frequent updates.
- Limited scalability to other apps.
- Complexity, and demanding significant expertise is challenging.
Supported industries
- Energy, Environment, and Utilities
- Public sector
- Travel and Transportation
- Retail
- Financial services
- Industrial products
User opinion
Using climate risk analytics, IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite predicts the potential impacts of climate change and weather across the business.
It measures and reports on environmental initiatives. Its API provides current and forecasted conditions. Compared to other software, its cost is high.
More about the IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite
3. Net Zero Cloud by Salesforce
Net Zero Cloud by Salesforce is a carbon accounting software designed to help businesses achieve net-zero emissions.
The Net Zero cloud will be powered by 100% renewable energy, and it will help customers decrease their carbon footprints through a range of features and services.
Features
- Analyze scope one emission
- Analyze scope two emissions
- Dashboard
- Emissions forecasting
- Analyze scope three emissions
- Automated data gap-filling
- Data model and calculation
- Procurement emission management
- Transportation and distribution
- Waste management module
- Business travel module
Screenshot of Net Zero
Pricing
It offers two editions
- Starter – It costs $48,000 per organization per year (billed annually) with three full CRM licenses.
- Growth – It costs $2,10,000 per organization per year(billed annually) with five full CRM licenses.
Apart from this, it offers some add-ons.
| Net-zero analytics license | It costs $165 per user per month (billed annually) |
| External engagement management | It costs $60,000 per organization per year (billed annually) |
| Net Zero Cloud additional users | It costs $25 per user per month (billed annually) |
Likes
- It provides detailed dashboards for scopes 1, 2 and 3
- Offers actionable insights
- Provides secure supplier collaboration
- It allows the integration of data from many sources
- It is scalable, flexible, and agile
Dislikes
- The user interface becomes challenging to keep track of location within the system
- Lacks sufficient support for complex organizations with multi-tier hierarchies
- Falls short in providing insights into the cost of carbon
- Not fully transparent regarding the distinction between net zero and true zero emissions.
Supported industries
- Energy and utility
- Education
- Financial services
- Governments
- Healthcare and life science
- Manufacturing
- Media
- Retail
- Non-profit
- Transportation and hospitality
- Technology
User opinion
Net Zero flows all your data directly into one path. You can track your energy pattern and emission trends also evaluate their impact.
It has rich data visualization impact and dashboards. It is also one of the Salesforce in-house solutions for their own carbon accounting.
More about Net Zero Cloud by Salesforce
4. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is a carbon accounting software introduced recently. The software manages environmental data and reports on an organization’s carbon footprint.
In addition, the software includes various features, such as tracking facility emissions, fleet, and air travel. Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is a web-based application that can be accessed from any internet-connected device.
Features
- Recording and reporting of environmental impact
- Measurement and monitoring of emissions
- Dashboards to visualize emissions activities
- Actionable data insights
- Energy management
Screenshots of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
Pricing
Microsoft sustainability manager costs $4000 per tenant per month.
Likes
- It helps to reduce the carbon footprint and energy consumption
- It allows you to get insights into reducing carbon emissions, energy costs, and waste
- Helps to collaborate with sustainability team members like stakeholders and contributors
- Increases transparency and accountability
Supported Industries
- Automotive
- Energy
- Financial services
- Manufacturing
- Retail
- Smart places
User opinion
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability aims to reduce carbon emissions globally. It helps you record, report, and reduce your organization’s environmental impact through automated data connections.
You can connect your data more accurately and make the remissions footprint operation report easily. It helps accelerate customers’ digital readiness with its cloud solutions.
More about Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
5. Sphera
Sphera is one of the most popular carbon management platforms. It helps businesses manage their emissions and greenhouse gas data with its integrated Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance(ESG) solutions.
It offers a variety of features, such as data management, tracking, and analysis. Sphera also provides consulting and training services to help businesses reduce their emissions.
Features
- Sustainability
- Chemical management
- Master data management
- Health and safety management
- Operational risk management
- Control of work
Screenshots of Sphera
Pricing
For pricing details, contact the vendor directly.
Likes
- Identifies the scope of three categories
- Calculates corporate carbon footprint
- Gathers data for energy consumption and number of products per period
- Determines emissions sources
- Reduces all paperwork at the time of auditing
- You can do a sustainability-related analysis easily
- You can scan large inventory in small places
- Its program is user-friendly
Dislikes
- Uploading new docs can be complex.
- File sharing ability needs to be improved.
- Configuring and customizing the platform is tricky.
- Lack of flexibility in the product according to future needs.
- Exporting it to Excel could be time-consuming.
- Less satisfying user interface.
- It demands a learning curve for effective navigation.
- The server functionality could be smoother for an improved user experience.
- The comparison between it and the Audit, may not have been favorable.
Supported industries
- Building and Construction
- Chemicals and life science
- Government
- Manufacturing
- Metals and mining
- Oil and gas
- Energy and mobility
- Retail and consumer goods
User opinion
Sphera provides you with the functionality required to raise H&S incidents. However, implementation is a complex process. Businesses face a lot of issues in getting installed.
However, its flexible, scalable software applications allow small businesses to run the task with few users. In addition, with its innovative SaaS platform, your company gains a comprehensive view of ESG performance and risk.
6. Sinai Technologies
Sinai Technologies is the world’s leading decarbonization software. The software helps businesses to manage their emissions and set targets for reducing their carbon footprint. It measures, analyzes, and helps to reduce emissions.
Features
- GHG inventories
- Reports
- Baseline projection
- Emissions target
- Carbon budget
- Carbon price
- Risk management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Value chain management
Pricing
It has six packages with three plans
| Packages | Plans |
| General Basic | Basic |
| Inventories professional | Professional |
| Business as usual, premium | Premium |
| Internal carbon pricing | |
| Value chain management | |
| Low carbon scenarios |
Likes
- It defines opportunities for carbon reduction.
- It provides multiple database capabilities; hence you will get accurate data.
- It offers strict architectural concepts that provide proper security.
- Determines valuable information and provides real-time analytics.
- Enhances data tracking and reporting.
Supported industries
- Transportation
- Industrials
- Utilities
- Consumer goods
- Buildings and construction
User opinion
Sinai Technologies’ main aim is to reduce actual emissions. It reaches net zero targets following the Science Based Targets guidelines and principles.
It presents carbon pricing simply and objectively. It helps build strategy reports and predict the pathways. You can also measure your emission levels easily.
7. Greenly
Greenly is a leading carbon accounting and management software developed to help businesses and organizations reduce their carbon emissions.
It provides features like tracking emissions data, creating reports, and setting targets. The software also allows users to compare their emissions performance with other businesses and organizations.
Features
- Digitized GHG assessment
- Employee engagements
- Action plans
- Offset
- Life-cycle
Screenshots of Greenly
Pricing
You can get a quote by mentioning the information about your industry and the number of employees on their website.
- Essential – It starts from Pound 99/per month under 20 employees and Pounds 1089/per month billed yearly
Likes
- It is a good platform for SMBs to track their carbon emissions.
- Calculates emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3
- It provides a detailed dashboard for carbon footprint
- Offers good support with climatic specialists to your net-zero journey
- Includes concrete and actionable alternatives
- It helps businesses implement effective energy audits
- It has sustainability and product digitization features
Dislikes
- Receiving documents takes time
- Here, the remainder of the procedure disappears soon
Supported industries
- Tech and Digital
- Construction
- Fashion and Textile
- Food
- Chartered accountants
- API and Banks
- Media and Press
Other details
| Deployment | Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based |
| Support | Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, Chat |
| Training | Live Online, Documentation, Videos |
| Customer ratings | Capterra: 4.2 out of 5 (2+reviews) |
User opinion
This carbon accounting software provides various features, such as advanced project management functionalities, automatic task reminders, comprehensive analytics tools, and extensive integration options.
Unfortunately, its documentation is not good, which means you have to wait while receiving the document; It takes more time. However, it focuses on transparency and provides users with detailed information about carbon offsetting projects.
8. Diligent
Diligent is a carbon accounting software that helps non-profits, executives, and governments to account for their greenhouse gas emissions.
Diligent was founded in 1994, and its headquarters is in New Zealand. It acquired Accuvio, an ESG vendor, in 2021, and both streamlined the connection between risk, compliance, audit, and ESG.
Features
- Board and leadership collaboration
- Board management
- Entity and subsidiary management
- Risk management
- Sustainability and ESG reporting
- Carbon accounting
- Audit management
- Internal controls management
Pricing
Pricing details are not provided by the vendor on their official website. Instead, contact the vendor directly for pricing.
Likes
- It provides climate leadership certification
- Helps to plan ESG data against standards like SASB, GRI, TCFD, CDP, and WEF
- You can easily track and monitor your ESG progress and compare it with your competitors.
- Provides real-time alerts
- Provides reports on ESG progress
- Streamlines carbon, energy, waste data collection, and reporting
Dislikes
- Pricing is too complicated and expensive
- There are additional fees for admin users
- It has a steep learning curve and requires significant time and training for users to become proficient
- Frequent need for assistance due to complexities
- Overdependence on external support at every step
- Scalability issues with managing supplements
Supported industries
- Financial services
- Broadcasting and telecommunication
- Government
- Higher education
- Manufacturing
- Private Equity
- Technology
- Advisory and legal research
- Energy
- Healthcare
- Non-profit
- Real estate and construction
- Retail
- Transportation and warehousing
User opinion
Diligent solves problems like risk, compliance, audit, and ESGs. You can navigate new threats and emerge more opportunities.
Leading organizations trust its flexible GRC platform. With the help of this technology audit process can be easier. It does all the internal audit processes automatically.
9. Sweep
Sweep is a software solution for carbon emissions management. It organizes, measures, and reduces carbon emissions. It mainly focuses on the collaboration of features that help track and visualize tasks in a centralized system.
Features
- Assign teams
- Connect with other companies
- Track progress
- Emission factor database
- Create composite factors
- Import factors
- Coordination and controls
Pricing
It offers two types of plans
- Growth – This is for up to 20 users. It costs $950 per month(billed annually) or $1100 per month (if billed monthly)
- Enterprise – This is for 50 users. To get details, contact the vendor
Apart from this, it charges $50 for extra users.
Note: The pricing mentioned above is the old one. Currently, pricing details are unavailable on the official website. Kindly contact the vendor for current pricing details.
Likes
- It enhances the assigning and tracking of tasks.
- It is very flexible.
- You can view all your climate strategies at a single glance.
- It provides an easy-to-use emission factor database.
Dislikes
- No free trial to test the software before committing to a purchase
- Unable to evaluate the software’s functionality before purchasing
- Limited features in the Growth plan restrict access to important functionalities
User opinion
Sweep provides complete knowledge on climate action and guides you on which climate action you should take next to stay on track.
It reduces carbon emissions smartly with automated collaboration. Identifying hotspots also provides real-time data. It helps to accelerate the sustainability transformation of the economy.
10. Watershed
Watershed is a newer software for environmental accounting that started in 2019. It helps businesses and organizations measure and manage their environmental performance.
It offers a comprehensive carbon accounting solution to help organizations understand their greenhouse gas emissions and take action to reduce them.
Features
- Rigorous carbon accounting
- Dashboard with drag and drop file facility
- Analyze emissions with real-time data
- Carbon removal technologies
- Invenstor grade reports
Pricing
For pricing details contact the vendor.
Likes
- It measures scope 1, scope2, and scope 3 of the greenhouse gas
- It helps to track the carbon emission of every supplier
- It helps to reduce emissions with net-zero goals
User opinion
Watershed runs a climate program that delivers real-world results. It helps you to measure, report, and reduce emissions. This software enables you to map your carbon footprint in weeks, not months.
As a result, you can prepare and file climate disclosures in global regulatory standards and set targets to reduce emissions.
FAQs
What is Carbon Accounting?
Carbon accounting is the process of tracking a business’s greenhouse gas emissions. This information can be used to help enterprises to reduce their environmental impact.
What type of data does carbon accounting software track?
Carbon accounting software typically tracks a business’s energy usage. This information is then used to calculate the company’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
How often do I need to report my emissions?
The frequency of reporting can vary depending on the software you use. For example, some programs allow you to report your emissions monthly or yearly, while others may require more frequent reporting.
Conclusion
As the world progresses towards a more sustainable future, businesses must adopt carbon accounting software to track their emissions and greenhouse gas production. This blog post highlights 10 of the best carbon reporting software options today.
We hope this list will help you make an informed decision about which carbon accounting software is right for your business. Thanks for reading!
References:
- Official documentation of Persefoni
- Documentation guide of IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite
- Help Center of Salesforce
- Technical documentation of Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
- Sphera spark
- Resources of Sinai Technologies
- Documentation guides of Greenly
- Buyer’s Guide to Diligent
- Whitepaper for Diligent
- Guidance of Sweep
- Watershed guides
