5 best carbon accounting solutions for 2025.

Your journey to net zero begins with accurate carbon accounting. With mountains of operations, consumption, and waste data to collect and process, you need sophisticated software dedicated to this purpose. This article highlights the best carbon accounting solutions on the market – and underscores why accurate data is the foundation of it all. 

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As global emissions reached an all-time high in 2024, the urgency for decarbonisation grew stronger. Understanding your business’s carbon footprint is the first step towards setting meaningful environmental targets … and that’s where carbon accounting software comes in. 

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With increasing regulatory pressure, such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), comprehensive carbon accounting is no longer optional. These solutions simplify compliance while offering actionable insights into your environmental impact.

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What should you look for in carbon accounting software?

The market is brimming with options, but not all solutions are created equal. While some focus solely on environmental data, others incorporate broader ESG (environmental, social, and governance) frameworks. To simplify your decision, we’ve divided essential features into “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.”

Must-have features

• Data collection: Your chosen software should seamlessly integrate with your existing data systems and repositories, gathering and sorting data relevant to your reporting requirements
• Reporting capabilities: Insightful, accurate reports are crucial for making informed decisions
• Audit trails: For better accountability, the carbon accounting solution should provide audit trails for the data it reports on. Any modifications should be traceable to the source and/or user. This is important from a compliance perspective, too
• Emission factor database: Emission factors are key to accurate carbon accounting. And they’re not standardised. Look at what emissions factors the software uses and if it has those relevant to your industry, niche, and location. Also, ask how frequently the emissions factors are updated
• Security: Any solution you use for carbon accounting will often handle sensitive data related to your business. It goes without saying that security should be reliable. Check the company's security measures and if the system complies with any applicable data security/privacy regulations
• Integration: Any carbon accounting solution you acquire should readily integrate with other systems in your tech stack. This will automate data sharing

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Nice-to-have features

• Advanced analytics: Most carbon accounting solutions have basic analytics features for reporting data. Now, with artificial intelligence (AI), these analytics can be taken to the next level
• Target setting/tracking: Having your ESG targets within the carbon accounting software may be helpful. This way, everything is in one place 
• Compliance: Built-in compliance can make your ESG team’s job much easier. Reports may be compiled in accordance with the regulations or a framework of your choice

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Why and who needs to invest in carbon accounting solutions?

Carbon accounting technology is a significant investment, especially for large companies with complex structures and vast volumes of data. But this investment isn’t really a choice anymore. And that’s because of one thing: ESG reporting regulations. 

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For instance, the new CSRD legislation impacts nearly 50,000 companies in the EU. Under this regulation, all these companies are supposed to report their ESG data. For many, the requirement extends to value chain emissions, aka Scope 3. Most notably, this regulation hasn’t spared small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) either. Public SMEs that meet a certain threshold are also required to report. 

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The EU isn’t alone – other regions and countries worldwide are also gradually mandating ESG reporting. If not now, then carbon accounting technology will soon become necessary for most medium to large businesses. 

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Besides compliance, investing in such a solution offers key benefits:

• Automation simplifies ESG data collection and reporting, saving resources that would otherwise be spent on manual methods
• Accurate data reduces errors. So, no penalties from regulators
• Insightful reporting enables businesses to set and achieve environmental goals, boosting their appeals to eco-conscious investors and customers

5 best carbon accounting solutions

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1. comundo: The foundation of accurate carbon accounting

comundo isn’t a carbon accounting tool – it’s the infrastructure they all need to be built on. It’s a layer beneath ESG solutions, as it helps aggregate and supply energy (and emissions from energy) data, which can then be included in the overall carbon footprint of a business.‍

• Core strengths: comundo collects energy consumption data across various assets, integrates with utility providers, and applies the latest emission factors for precise calculations
• Applications: Ideal for companies with substantial real estate, comundo simplifies ESG reporting, helps set meaningful environmental targets, and can help optimise building performance
• Unique role: While comundo can serve as a stand-alone solution for energy-related emissions, it excels when paired with dedicated ESG tools, ensuring that the data they use is as accurate and complete as possible

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Who it’s for: Any business looking to improve the accuracy of their emissions data for use in their ESG reporting efforts. comundo can plug into any existing ESG platform and provide the data you need without the headache of managing it.

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2. Position Green: All-in-one ESG management

Position Green is a comprehensive ESG platform integrating sustainability into every business layer. Its versatile features make it a one-stop solution for companies navigating complex ESG challenges.

• Real-time visualisation: With its dynamic dashboard, Position Green offers a detailed view of emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Businesses can pinpoint high-impact areas and prioritise decarbonisation efforts
• Scenario planning tools: Organisations can model the potential impact of different sustainability initiatives, helping them make informed decisions
• Seamless integration: APIs enable Position Green to pull data from systems like supply chain management software, ensuring a holistic approach to ESG management
• Framework alignment: With built-in compliance for ESRS, CDP, and other frameworks, Position Green ensures businesses meet regulatory demands efficiently

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Who it’s for: Businesses just starting with ESG reporting or those seeking a unified solution for sustainability management will find Position Green particularly valuable.

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3. Normative: Focused on decarbonisation

Dubbed the carbon accounting engine, Normative is another out-of-the-box carbon accounting solution that helps understand emissions. 

• Focus on emissions reduction: Normative goes beyond reporting by helping companies set realistic decarbonisation targets. Its intuitive interface presents emissions data in a way that’s easy to understand and act upon
• Unique selling point: Its intuitive reports align well with Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and the EU Taxonomy, offering businesses a roadmap for realistic decarbonisation
• Scenario modelling: Like Position Green, Normative allows companies to simulate the long-term effects of various strategies, enabling more precise decision-making
• Industry use case: From manufacturers looking to streamline their supply chains to retailers aiming for carbon-neutral operations, Normative caters to diverse industries with its robust features

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Best fit: Businesses seeking to turn their emissions data into actionable insights for sustainability goals will find Normative valuable. 

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4. Klappir: Sustainability made simple for all business sizes

Klappir is a sustainability platform designed to help businesses achieve net-zero emissions. 

• Flexible subscription plans: Whether you’re a startup or a multinational corporation, Klappir’s tiered plans provide tailored solutions to meet your needs
• Digital ecosystem: Klappir’s unique ecosystem enables seamless data sharing between partners, subsidiaries, or departments, fostering transparency and collaboration
• Comprehensive dashboards: The platform supports everything from materiality assessments to goal-setting, making it an excellent tool for CSRD compliance
• Special features: Klappir excels in simplifying complex reporting requirements, ensuring businesses meet regulations without overburdening their teams

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Who it’s for: Companies managing interconnected operations or partnerships will find Klappir’s ecosystem invaluable.

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5. Plan A: Precision in carbon management 

Plan A offers a comprehensive carbon accounting solution for those serious about slicing their emissions down to size. This platform is designed to integrate seamlessly across various business units, enabling detailed visualisation and management of a company’s carbon footprint.

• Core strengths: Think of Plan A as the brainiac that turns complex data collection into a cakewalk, using top-tier tech to ensure that emissions data across all scopes are captured accurately and efficiently. 
• Applications: The software is particularly suitable for businesses aiming for CSRD compliance and those focused on serious decarbonisation efforts. It’s all about setting ambitious science-based targets and smashing them, with precision
• Unique role: More than just tracking – Plan A drives real change, turning data insights into actionable decarbonisation strategies

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Best fit: Ideal for organisations that are deeply invested in their environmental impact and are looking for robust tools to support their sustainability goals comprehensively. 

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Invest in the right solutions

Technology is the backbone of any successful sustainability strategy. While carbon accounting solutions simplify reporting and compliance, their effectiveness hinges on accurate, reliable data.

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comundo serves as the foundation for precise carbon accounting, ensuring the insights from other platforms are actionable and trustworthy. By investing in the right combination of tools, your business can futureproof its operations while contributing to a greener planet.

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FAQs

What is carbon accounting software?

Carbon accounting software helps organisations measure, track, and report their GHG emissions. It automates data collection from various sources, including energy usage, supply chains, and transportation, to calculate emissions across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. These tools can also help with ESG reporting. 

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What are the principles of carbon accounting? 

Carbon accounting is guided by relevance, accuracy, completeness, consistency, and transparency, as the GHG Protocol outlines. These principles ensure that emissions data reflect the organisation's actual carbon footprint and are comparable across periods and with industry benchmarks. 

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What are some challenges with carbon accounting?

Carbon accounting faces several challenges, including data availability and accuracy. In many cases, the data simply isn’t available. And when it’s available, it’s not accurate and reliable. That often results in an underreported carbon footprint and targets that don’t achieve the desired effect. 

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Another challenge is evolving global standards and regulations. With the right tools and continuous monitoring, companies can stay on top of laws related to carbon accounting and reporting. 

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Carbon accounting and ESG solutions can address data accuracy and compliance challenges with built-in mechanisms that automate data gathering and improve quality in line with the latest standards and regulations. 

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