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In this article we talk about the differences between carbon accounting software and carbon consultants, and how to decide which option is right for your business. This article is a good read for SMEs who are unsure whether they need software, a carbon consultant, or something in the middle: Climate Essentials' Managed Service.
As more and more businesses are asked to measure, report and reduce their carbon footprint, it often leaves SMEs in particular wondering where to begin.
For a lot of companies, modern / advanced accounting software like Climate Essentials for Business is a practical and cost-effective way to measure emissions year on year, generate carbon footprint reports, identify carbon reduction opportunities, build a carbon reduction plan and a net zero strategy. A carbon consultant, on the other hand, provides hands-on expertise and support, they help you gather and interpret data, sense-check your assumptions and produce outputs on your behalf.
If you have the capacity to learn something new, know what data to collect and how to collect it, and can follow a guided process, then Climate Essentials for Business carbon accounting software can give you everything you need to measure your footprint, create a carbon reduction plan and report your emissions year after year.
If you're short on time, have complex operations, need extra reassurance, need your carbon report for bids or tenders, need to complete a carbon reduction plan, or it's your first time ever measuring your business's carbon footprint, then Climate Essentials' Managed Service could be the perfect solution for your business.
Our Managed Service gives you the best of both worlds, it provides the structure and consistency of carbon accounting software, with the added support of expert guidance throughout the process.
We support you with guided data collection, helping you understand what information is needed and where to find it. From there, we take the measurement process off your plate, calculate your emissions and produce a verified carbon footprint report for your business. If you have a reporting deadline or customer request to respond to, our Managed Service can also help you complete the process more quickly and with greater confidence.
If required, we can also work with you to identify practical emissions reduction opportunities. This could include quick, low-cost actions such as behaviour changes, switching to LED lighting or improving energy efficiency, as well as longer-term carbon reduction strategies, net zero target setting and reduction planning.
For many businesses, Managed Service is a useful middle ground between doing everything yourself and hiring a full carbon consultant. It gives you access to expert support and credible outputs, while often being a more cost-effective option than traditional consultancy.
It can also be a great route for your first year of carbon reporting. We guide you through the data collection process, produce a credible carbon footprint report, and give you a clear template to work from in future years. Many businesses then feel more confident using the Climate Essentials platform themselves the following year, having learned what good carbon reporting looks like with our support.
And of course, if you ever need more bespoke consultancy support for a specific challenge, or just want the reassurance year on year that your carbon footprint is accurate and credible, we can provide that too through continued managed service or bespoke consultancy.
Click here to find out more about our Managed Service option, or book a no-pressure exploratory call with one of our experts to see what level of support would work best for your business.
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