Carbon accounting software for mid market businesses

Looking for the best carbon accounting software for your mid-market business? Here's a quick rundown of the top 5 options:

1. Emerald Power - User-friendly, affordable starter option

2. Persefoni - Powerful supplier emissions tracking

3. Microsoft Sustainability Cloud - Integrates with Microsoft tools

4. Watershed - Premium features for serious carbon reduction

5. Normative - Comprehensive emissions management suite

These tools help you: • Automatically collect emissions data • Generate reports compliant with GHG Protocol • Analyze your carbon footprint • Plan emission reduction strategies

Prices range from €249/month for basic plans to $200,000+/year for enterprise solutions.

Quick Comparison:

Choose based on your budget, technical needs, and carbon reduction goals. The right software can help you stay compliant, cut emissions, and boost your green credentials.

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1. Emerald Power

Emerald Power is the go-to carbon accounting software for mid-market businesses. This SaaS solution packs a punch with features that make tracking, monitoring, and cutting carbon emissions a breeze.

Here's what makes Emerald Power stand out:

Automated data collection: Say goodbye to manual data entry. Emerald Power plugs into your existing systems, grabbing emissions data automatically. It's faster and more accurate than doing it by hand.

GHG Protocol-compliant reporting: The software's reporting tools tick all the boxes for the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. You'll get real-time data on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, giving you a full picture of your carbon footprint.

User-friendly interface: Emerald Power's dashboards and visuals make sense of your emissions data at a glance. You can set benchmarks, track progress, and set realistic carbon-cutting goals.

Expert support: Need help? The Pro and Enterprise plans come with your own sustainability consultant. They'll guide you through carbon reduction strategies, perfect for businesses without in-house experts.

Emerald Power offers three pricing tiers:

The Starter plan is a solid entry point for mid-market businesses just starting their carbon accounting journey. Need more? The Pro and Enterprise plans scale up with custom pricing.

Emerald Power hits the sweet spot of user-friendliness and powerful features. It gives mid-market businesses the tools to track emissions, set reduction targets, and meet regulations. Plus, it might even boost your bottom line by making your operations more efficient.

2. Persefoni

Persefoni is a carbon accounting powerhouse for mid-market businesses. This Climate Management & Accounting Platform (CMAP) packs a punch with tools that make emissions tracking a breeze.

Say Goodbye to Data Headaches

Tired of manual data entry? Persefoni's got your back. Their Integration Hub connects with your existing systems, turning business data into carbon footprint insights automatically. It's like magic, but for emissions data.

Reports That Regulators Love

Persefoni doesn't mess around with reporting. They serve up carbon reports that tick all the boxes for major climate disclosure rules. They've baked in standards from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) and the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF). Your emissions data gets the same VIP treatment as your financials.

Cool Features You Didn't Know You Needed

Persefoni goes the extra mile with some nifty tricks:

• Spots weird patterns in your emissions data

• Uses plain language to map emission factors

• Gives you a checklist to catch all your emissions sources

These tools help you dig deeper into your carbon footprint and make smarter choices about sustainability.

Pricing That Fits Like a Glove

No one-size-fits-all here. Persefoni tailors their pricing to your company's size. You pay for what you need, and it grows with you. They don't splash their prices online, but you can bet it's designed to scale.

Real Talk from Real Users

Don't just take our word for it. Here's what one happy customer had to say:

"Persefoni allows for improved data collection, more dynamic and enhanced analysis of our carbon footprint and net-zero pathway, and better transparency in preparation for regulatory assurance requirements."

Sounds like Persefoni's not just solving today's problems, but tomorrow's too.

Help When You Need It

Persefoni's support team is the real MVP. Users rave about them. For mid-market businesses without in-house sustainability gurus, this backup is gold.

Now, let's keep it real. Some folks find the initial setup a bit tricky. But don't sweat it - that's where the awesome support team comes in. They'll help you get over any hurdles and make the most of what Persefoni offers.

In the world of carbon accounting software, Persefoni stands tall. For mid-market businesses, it's a solid choice that brings together great features, flexible pricing, and top-notch support. If you're serious about managing your carbon footprint and staying on the right side of regulations, Persefoni deserves a spot on your shortlist.

3. Microsoft Sustainability Cloud

Microsoft Sustainability Cloud is a carbon accounting solution for mid-market businesses. It works with existing Microsoft tools and other systems, making it easy for companies already using Microsoft products to collect data.

The platform's core is the Sustainability Manager. It brings together data to help companies track and manage their sustainability efforts. It's built to make it easier to record, report, and cut down on carbon emissions, water use, and waste.

Here's what it can do:

• Grab data automatically: It connects to different business systems, pulling data together and doing calculations. This cuts down on manual work.

• Show the big picture: It has built-in dashboards that show a company's environmental impact. These aren't just for show - they help track progress and can be customized.

• Keep up with rules: It has templates and dashboards that can be adjusted to help businesses meet ESG reporting requirements.

• Use AI smarts: It uses Microsoft Copilot to create reports faster, model calculations, and analyze documents.

A cool feature is the Emissions Impact Dashboard for Microsoft 365. This tool shows how much greenhouse gas a company produces when using Microsoft 365 apps.

"The Emissions Impact Dashboard for Microsoft 365 has become an integral part of our internal carbon accounting solution. It's helped us prove the environmental benefits of moving workloads from on-premises to the cloud and has become part of our conversations around the future of work." - Clive Bastin, Director of Program Management at RELX

Microsoft keeps making the platform better. For example, from July 2021 to June 2022, the carbon intensity of data stored in SharePoint and OneDrive dropped by over 30%. This helps businesses using the platform cut their carbon footprint too.

As for cost, Microsoft Sustainability Cloud is part of the bigger Microsoft Cloud subscription. The price can change based on what a business needs, but it's been reported that it costs about 4000 € per month per tenant. You might save up to 17% if you sign up for a year. This pricing makes it a good option for mid-market businesses that want a full sustainability solution without spending too much.

For mid-market businesses serious about carbon accounting, Microsoft Sustainability Cloud is worth a look. It works well with other Microsoft tools, has strong reporting features, and uses AI to help out. While it's not cheap, it could be worth it for businesses that want to manage sustainability better and follow regulations more easily.

4. Watershed

Watershed is a cloud-based carbon accounting platform that's gaining traction among mid-market businesses. It offers a full suite of tools for measuring, reporting, and cutting carbon emissions.

Data Collection

Watershed excels at data collection, particularly for supplier emissions. Its Integration Hub plugs right into your existing business systems, pulling data automatically. No more manual data entry hassles.

The platform's supplier emission tracking tools are a standout feature. They let businesses dig into their Scope 3 emissions - often over 80% of a company's total carbon footprint. Watershed works directly with vendors to measure and analyze supplier emissions quickly and effectively.

Reporting Tools

Watershed's reporting capabilities pack a punch. The software includes carbon reduction planning features that help businesses not just track emissions, but actively work to lower them.

Here's what you get with Watershed's reporting:

• A dashboard showing detailed emissions data, targets, and actions for each supplier

• Progress tracking across multiple vendors

• A Guided CDP Report Builder for regulatory reporting

• Several pre-made report types for different needs

Celonis, one of Watershed's clients, saw big improvements in measuring their carbon footprint. Sophia Wieland, Sustainability & Climate Change Manager at Celonis, said:

"Watershed helps us be pragmatic. We save time because we can focus on getting precise data where it has the most impact on our future desire to act."

Cost

Watershed offers custom pricing based on each business's needs. While they don't publish their prices, reports suggest annual costs can range from about $37,000 to $264,000, not including setup fees.

This puts Watershed in the premium category, but it offers solid value for mid-market businesses serious about carbon accounting. The platform's comprehensive features and ability to drive real emission reductions can make it worth the investment for many companies.

Take Sweetgreen, for example. The fast-casual brand used Watershed to help hit its goal of net-zero emissions by 2027. Since working with Watershed, Sweetgreen has cut its emissions 'intensity' by 12%.

Watershed's impact goes beyond individual companies. Big names like Walmart, Stripe, Shopify, and BlackRock use it, showing it can handle complex carbon accounting needs across different industries.

While Watershed might cost more than some other options, its robust features, user-friendly design, and proven results make it a top choice for mid-market businesses ready to tackle carbon accounting head-on.

5. Normative

Normative is a cloud-based carbon accounting platform for mid-market businesses. It's not just about tracking emissions - it's a full suite for measuring, reporting, and cutting carbon footprints.

Data Collection

Normative digs deep into your company's climate impact, including those sneaky supply chain emissions. Their engine uncovers Scope 3 emissions, which can make up 90% of your carbon footprint.

Here's the cool part: Normative plugs right into your business systems. It pulls data automatically, cutting down on human error. That's huge, considering businesses report up to 40% error rates when measuring emissions by hand.

Reporting Tools

Normative turns your data into action. You get:

• Breakdowns of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions

• Visual tools to group suppliers by emissions

• Hotspot analysis for high-impact areas

• Exports for frameworks like SASB, GRI, TCFD, CDP, SECR, and Nasdaq ESG

But wait, there's more. Normative just rolled out some new features:

1. Reduction Scenarios

Play around with different strategies to cut emissions. It's like a roadmap to your net-zero goals.

2. Impact Explorer

Dive into your carbon footprint. Tweak things and see how it changes your overall emissions.

3. Supplier Forecast

Get a handle on your supplier emissions data. It's key for managing those tricky Scope 3 emissions.

These tools aren't just for show - they're designed to help you actually cut emissions. As Kristian Rönn, Normative's CEO and Co-founder, puts it:

"Our technology is now at a point where it can go beyond simply reporting emissions, to empowering businesses to take control of their reduction journeys and reach their targets. With this latest suite of features, we're proud to show that Normative is much more than a carbon accounting platform – it's a carbon reduction platform."

Real-World Impact

Don't just take our word for it. Here's what Charlie Michael, Chief Sustainability & People Officer at DF Capital, has to say:

"With Normative, we've measured the impact of initiatives like switching our fleet to electric cars. Using their APIs, we track our emissions monthly, ensuring we're making progress toward our goals and keeping sustainability a top priority."

This kind of detailed tracking lets businesses make smart choices about sustainability and show real progress over time.

Cost

Normative doesn't have a one-size-fits-all price tag. They customize their pricing based on what your business needs. While they don't publish prices, the platform's features and ability to drive real emission cuts can make it a smart investment for mid-market businesses serious about carbon accounting and sustainability.

For mid-market businesses looking to stay ahead of upcoming laws and take real action on their carbon footprint, Normative is a solid choice. It gives you accurate, comprehensive emissions measurements across your whole value chain, plus powerful tools to plan reductions. That makes it a strong player in the carbon accounting software game.

Software Features and Pricing Comparison

Choosing carbon accounting software for mid-market businesses can be tricky. Let's break down the key features and pricing of five top options to help you decide.

Emerald Power

Emerald Power offers a user-friendly interface and budget-friendly pricing:

• Automated data collection

• GHG Protocol-compliant reporting

• Real-time emissions data

• AI-assisted automation (Pro and Enterprise plans)

Pricing:

• Starter: €249/month

• Pro and Enterprise: Custom pricing

Their Starter plan is great for mid-market businesses just starting with carbon accounting.

Persefoni

Persefoni comes loaded with features:

• Integration Hub for automatic data collection

• GHGP and PCAF-aligned reporting

• Dynamic emissions calculations

• Pricing based on company size

Persefoni doesn't list prices publicly but scales with your business. A happy customer said:

"Persefoni allows for improved data collection, more dynamic and enhanced analysis of our carbon footprint and net-zero pathway, and better transparency in preparation for regulatory assurance requirements."

Microsoft Sustainability Cloud

Microsoft's tool works well with other Microsoft products:

• Automated data collection from various business systems

• Built-in dashboards for environmental impact visualization

• AI-powered reporting with Microsoft Copilot

• Emissions Impact Dashboard for Microsoft 365

Pricing: About 4000 € per month per tenant, with possible discounts for yearly subscriptions.

Watershed

Watershed shines in tracking supplier emissions:

• Integration Hub for automatic data collection

• Detailed supplier emissions analysis

• Carbon reduction planning features

• Guided CDP Report Builder

Pricing: Custom, but reports suggest yearly costs from $37,000 to $264,000, not including setup fees.

Normative

Normative offers a full suite for emissions management:

• Deep dive into Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions

• Visual tools for supplier grouping

• Hotspot analysis for high-impact areas

• New features like Reduction Scenarios and Impact Explorer

Pricing: Custom based on business needs.

Here's a quick feature comparison:

When picking your carbon accounting software, think about your specific needs, budget, and growth plans. Emerald Power is a good starting point for mid-market businesses. Persefoni and Watershed might work better if you need deep supplier emissions analysis. Microsoft Sustainability Cloud could be perfect if you already use a lot of Microsoft tools. Normative offers a mix of features that could fit many mid-market needs.

Final Thoughts

Picking the right carbon accounting software for your mid-market business is a big deal. Let's recap the top options we've looked at:

Emerald Power is great for newbies. It's easy to use and won't break the bank. Plus, it automatically collects data and follows the GHG Protocol. Perfect if you're just starting out.

Need to dig deep into supplier emissions? Check out Persefoni or Watershed. Persefoni's Integration Hub gets a lot of love from users. Here's what one customer said:

"Persefoni allows for improved data collection, more dynamic and enhanced analysis of our carbon footprint and net-zero pathway, and better transparency in preparation for regulatory assurance requirements."

If you're already using a ton of Microsoft stuff, their Sustainability Cloud might be your best bet. It plays nice with other Microsoft tools and has some cool AI features.

Normative is the Swiss Army knife of emissions management. They've got new tools like Reduction Scenarios and Impact Explorer to help you actually cut down your carbon footprint, not just track it.

When you're making your choice, keep these things in mind:

1. Is it easy to use?

Look for software that's not a headache to figure out. Bonus points if it grabs data automatically.

2. Does it follow the rules?

Make sure it lines up with carbon accounting standards and any laws you need to follow.

3. Can it grow with you?

Your needs might change. Pick something that can keep up.

4. What kind of help can you get?

If you're new to this, good support can be a lifesaver.

5. What's the damage to your wallet?

Prices can range from a few hundred euros a month to over $100,000 a year for the big guns. Find the sweet spot between features and cost.

FAQs

What is the most efficient carbon management tool?

There's no one perfect tool for everyone, but Emerald Power is a top choice for mid-market businesses. Here's why it stands out:

Emerald Power grabs emissions data automatically from your systems. This cuts down on time and mistakes compared to manual entry. It also follows the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, so your carbon accounting meets global standards.

The software's dashboards make it easy to understand your emissions data quickly. You can set benchmarks and track your progress towards cutting carbon. Plus, with plans starting at €249/month for the Starter package, it won't break the bank.

But Emerald Power isn't the only game in town. Platforms like Persefoni and Watershed also pack a punch. Here's what one user said about Persefoni:

"Persefoni allows for improved data collection, more dynamic and enhanced analysis of our carbon footprint and net-zero pathway, and better transparency in preparation for regulatory assurance requirements."

When picking a tool, think about:

1. How easy it is to use

2. If it works with your current systems

3. What kind of reports it can make

4. If it fits your budget

5. What support and training you'll get

The best tool for you depends on what your business needs. Take a close look at your options before deciding.