- Top 11 carbon accounting software solutions in 2025 reviewed for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint
- Compare features, pricing, and key differentiators of each software
- Learn how Arbor stands out as the #1 carbon accounting platform for accurate reporting
- Software solutions offer automated carbon data tracking, compliance support, and integration options
- Helps businesses make informed decisions about carbon management for sustainability goals
Top 11 Carbon Accounting Software & Tools: 2025 Edition
Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? You're not alone. Stakeholders – investors, customers, and regulators are pushing businesses for genuine sustainability.
But where do you start? The first step is accurate carbon accounting, and that means choosing the right software.
I'm Mike from Arbor, and I've compiled the 11 best carbon accounting software solutions for 2025, focusing on platforms that are built for the job – not just tacked onto existing systems.
Get ready to ditch the spreadsheets and find the best software or tool for your business.
1. Arbor
Arbor is an automated carbon accounting platform with industry-leading accuracy. While Arbor supports full-scope carbon accounting, it is especially renowned for its automated Product Carbon Footprinting (PCF) capabilities, giving businesses the power to understand the environmental impact of their products with unmatched speed.
Key features:
- Full-scope, bottom-up carbon accounting (Scopes 1, 2, and 3)
- Self-serve, automated Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs)
- Product prototyping to test changes to make lower-carbon products
- Regulation-ready reporting (supports Bill C-59, SEC, CSRD, CBAM)
- Hotspot analysis to identify major emission contributors
- Easy-to-use interface and expert support
- Seamless integration with PLM systems
Clients & industries:
Arbor serves a range of companies, including Crocs, Inc., Quality Bicycle Parts, Canada Goose, Scott Sports, Schibsted, WINQS, COPP Net-zero and JCB. Arbor’s platform is particularly well-suited for businesses with physical products or assets.
Pricing:
Starting at $100, monthly plans and custom reporting add-ons are also available. See Arbor’s pricing.
Location:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Why choose Arbor?
Arbor’s accuracy and automation make it a top choice for businesses that need to calculate the carbon footprint of their products.
Arbor’s carbon accounting platform enables companies to
- Measure emissions of any physical product or asset
- Generate compliant ISO 14067-verified product carbon footprints
- Reduce emission calculation times by 97% compared to traditional methods
- Get GRI-certified reports, helping you meet requirements for regulations like Bill C-59, SEC, CSRD, and CBAM
- Use the best, industry-leading calculation methodology available (GHG Protocol, PEFCRs, PEF, PCAF, ISO Net Zero Guidelines, Environmental Footprint v3.0)
Request a demo to see how Arbor can help measure your company's emissions
or see an overview of Arbor's platform
2. Sphera
Sphera provides a comprehensive sustainability and operational risk management platform designed to help organizations enhance their environmental, health, safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) performance. Sphera combines software, data, and expert consulting services to manage sustainability proactively.
Key features:
- Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Aligns with CSRD, GRI, CDP, and SASB.
- Environmental Accounting: Provides comprehensive emissions data.
- Health and Safety Management: Helps organizations capture, track, investigate, report, and analyze health and safety information.
- Product Sustainability: Assists companies in evaluating and optimizing the environmental impact of their products through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
Target audience:
Sphera serves a diverse range of industries, including chemicals, oil & gas, industrials, consumer packaged goods, financial services, and retail.
Pricing:
Estimated > $15,000 annually. Contact Sphera directly for a quote.
Location:
Headquartered in the US
3. Watershed
Watershed is an enterprise climate platform for large companies seeking to measure, report, and reduce their carbon emissions.
Key features:
- Carbon footprint measurements
- Tailored reporting for financial institutions
- CDP submission support
- Lifecycle analysis capabilities
- Comprehensive sustainability tools (carbon, water, waste)
Clients & industries:
Watershed is designed for enterprise clients with broad environmental management needs.
Pricing:
$37,000 – $264,000 annually, excluding implementation fees.
Location:
San Francisco, California, United States
4. Worldly
Worldly (formerly Higg) is a sustainability data platform that provides brands and manufacturers with insights into their environmental and social impacts.
Key features:
- Product Impact Calculator (PIC) for Scope 3 emissions data.
- Integration with Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) and Materials Sustainability Index (MSI).
- Scalable solutions for large and complex supply chains
- See why Arbor is the best Worldly alternative
Clients & industries:
Worldly serves a broad network of brands and manufacturers, with a strong presence in the apparel and textile industries.
Pricing:
Subscriptions start at over $14,000 per year. Contact Worldly for a quote.
Location:
Concord, California, USA
5. Altruistiq
Altruistiq is designed for large enterprises with complex supply chains. The platform focuses on providing granular data insights and facilitating robust supply chain engagement.
Key features:
- Corporate and product footprinting
- Advanced supply chain engagement features
- Granular insights into emissions
- Large environmental impact factor database
- Specialization in the agriculture value chain
- Enterprise-ready security features
Clients & industries:
Altruistiq serves large enterprises with intricate value chains, with a specialization in the agriculture sector.
Pricing:
Estimated > $10,000 annually. Contact Altruistiq directly for pricing information.
Location:
London, United Kingdom
6. Emitwise
Emitwise focuses on helping companies manage their Scope 3 emissions, which often represent the largest and most challenging part of their carbon footprint.
Key features:
- Tools for supply chain engagement
- Support for sustainable procurement practices
- Real-time emissions tracking and reporting
- Machine learning algorithms for enhanced accuracy
Clients & industries:
Emitwise is geared toward manufacturers with intricate supply chains.
Pricing:
$42,000 – $127,000 annually, excluding implementation fees.
Location:
London, United Kingdom
7. Coolset
Coolset is an automated carbon accounting software designed to help businesses measure, analyze, reduce, and remove emissions across all three scopes.
Key features:
- Comprehensive analysis of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions
- Actionable reduction recommendations
- Automated and compliant reporting
- Sustainable alternatives marketplace
- Strong support for CSRD compliance
Clients & industries:
Coolset is designed for mid-market companies, particularly in Europe.
Pricing:
Pricing starts at approximately $5,000. Contact us for a quote.
Location:
Amsterdam, Netherlands
8. Sweep
Sweep helps businesses track, disclose, and reduce their carbon emissions with its sustainability data management platform.
Key features:
- Measurement of Scope 1-3 emissions
- Identification of emission dependencies
- Tools for setting science-based targets
- Extensive customization options
Clients & industries:
Sweep is designed for organizations of all sizes.
Pricing:
$37,000 – $211,000 annually, excluding implementation fees.
Location:
Paris, France
9. Greenly
Greenly's mission is to make carbon accounting simple, especially for SMBs. They focus on automating data collection and providing actionable insights to help businesses reduce their footprint.
Key features:
- Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions measurement
- Supplier engagement tools
- Custom action plans
- Automated data analysis
- Climate expert support
Clients & industries:
Greenly focuses on a wide range of SMB-level businesses, specifically in the EU.
Pricing:
$3,000 – $85,000 annually, excluding implementation fees and add-ons.
Location:
Paris, France
10. Normative
Normative's carbon accounting platform is engineered to assist companies in achieving net-zero emissions.
Key features:
- Carbon footprinting
- Custom advisory and reporting services
- Alignment with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
- Unified SaaS solution for capturing, modeling, and reporting carbon data
Clients & industries:
Normative serves larger companies with ambitious sustainability objectives.
Pricing:
Personalized pricing tailored to the specific needs and complexity of each organization.
Location:
Stockholm, Sweden
11. Plan A
Plan A combines technological solutions with scientific standards to provide corporate decarbonization and ESG optimization software.
Key features:
- Comprehensive ESG reporting capabilities
- Measurement of Scope 1-3 emissions
- Tools for setting and tracking reduction targets
- Strong focus on CSRD compliance
Clients & industries:
Plan A supports European businesses in streamlining carbon accounting, reporting, and emissions reduction, particularly in compliance with CSRD.
Pricing:
Estimated to be above $10,000 annually.
Location:
Berlin, Germany
Comparative Analysis: Carbon accounting software and tools compared
Here’s a handy table to compare all 11 top carbon accounting solutions mentioned in this guide:
What’s important in good carbon accounting software or tools?
What essential features should you look for in good carbon accounting software?
- Effortless Data Collection: The software should seamlessly integrate with your existing business systems, pulling in data automatically. This saves time and reduces the risk of errors.
- Complete Emissions Picture: Look for a solution that covers all three scopes of emissions – from your direct operations to your entire supply chain.
- Regulatory Ready: Ensure the platform supports the reporting frameworks relevant to your business (GHG Protocol, CSRD, etc.).
- Actionable Insights: It's not enough to just measure your footprint. The best software identifies your biggest emission sources and recommends practical reduction strategies.
- Clear Audit Trail: A robust audit trail is essential for ensuring data accuracy and compliance.
- Grows With Your Business: The solution should be scalable to meet your evolving sustainability needs.
- Easy to use: A user-friendly interface will encourage adoption and make carbon accounting a seamless part of your operations.
So, what’s the best carbon accounting software or tool?
While the ideal choice depends on your specific needs, Arbor (arbor.eco) is a leading carbon accounting solution for businesses that prioritize accuracy and automation.
Throughout this guide, Arbor's industry-leading accuracy supports Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions measurement and can automate product-level measurements, significantly streamlining your carbon accounting process.
If your business has physical goods or assets and you're looking to product carbon footprinting (PCF), quickly identify reduction opportunities and generate regulation-ready reports (including CSRD, CBAM, and more), Arbor is a highly recommended carbon accounting platform.
Its focus on a bottom-up methodology approach, combined with an easy-to-use interface, makes it a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes looking to take meaningful action on their carbon footprint.
Closing thoughts
Well, those were the top 11 carbon accounting tools for 2025, carefully reviewed to help companies navigate and choose the best solution for carbon accounting, product carbon footprinting, scope 1, 2 and 3 reporting, emissions tracking, and reduction efforts.
From Arbor's carbon accounting platform to more advanced solutions, each tool offers unique features tailored to streamline your sustainability goals. This guide covers essential features, pricing, and industry-specific applications, helping you make an informed decision for your climate strategy. Also, check out the best product carbon footprint software comparison!
I hope you enjoyed this review and found it helpful in selecting the right carbon accounting software for your company.
Talk to Arbor's carbon experts to learn how our carbon accounting software can streamline carbon measurement and reporting
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about carbon accounting software and tools
What is carbon accounting?
Carbon accounting, also known as greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting, quantifies an organization's greenhouse gas emissions, directly or indirectly, within defined boundaries.
Much like financial accounting, which measures financial impact, carbon accounting tracks climate impact by calculating an organization's carbon footprint. This method estimates emissions from various activities and converts them into carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) using global warming potential (GWP) metrics.
Organizations can identify emission hotspots and focus their reduction efforts on high-impact areas by understanding their carbon emissions.
Carbon accounting not only aids in emission reduction but also supports organizations in reporting climate impact to stakeholders, such as customers, investors, and regulatory bodies.
As of May 2024, 2023, many countries, corporations, and organizations representing a large portion of the world's economic output have pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the most commonly used framework for calculating and classifying GHG emissions into three scopes, enabling comprehensive and standardized reporting.
Is it better to use carbon accounting software or an internal solution?
Using carbon accounting software is generally better than relying on internal solutions. It automates data collection and reporting, reducing human error and providing more accurate insights.
How do you choose carbon accounting software?
Choose carbon accounting software that offers robust data collection and comprehensive reporting and complies with industry standards like the GHG Protocol. Assess ease of integration with existing systems and the level of customer support provided. See the best carbon accounting software.
What is the most widely used carbon accounting method?
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the most widely used carbon accounting method, a standardized framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. Developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the GHG Protocol provides comprehensive guidelines for calculating emissions across three scopes:
- Direct emissions (Scope 1)
- Indirect emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2) and
- Indirect emissions (Scope 3)
According to the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, over 90% of Fortune 500 companies use this method, making it a globally recognized benchmark for carbon accounting. This standardized approach ensures consistency and comparability in emissions reporting, which is crucial for regulatory compliance and stakeholder transparency.
Why should you use carbon accounting software in your business?
Carbon accounting software helps you accurately measure and manage your carbon footprint, ensuring regulatory compliance and reducing inefficiencies. It also boosts brand reputation and future-proofs your business.
What is the tool to measure carbon emissions?
Carbon emissions are typically measured using specialized software tools to track them across various business activities and convert them into carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).
Is carbon accounting the same as financial accounting?
Yes, in some ways, carbon accounting quantifies the environmental impact of business activities, while financial accounting measures financial performance. Both are crucial for comprehensive business management but serve different purposes.
What is the difference between carbon accounting and GHG accounting?
Carbon accounting focuses on carbon dioxide emissions, whereas GHG accounting encompasses all greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, converting them to CO2e for standardization.
How do you collect data for carbon accounting?
Data collection for carbon accounting involves gathering information from various sources to ensure a comprehensive view of your emissions. This includes utility bills for energy consumption, transportation fuel logs, and supply chain operations records.
Advanced carbon accounting software like Arbor's can automate much of this process by integrating your existing systems and pulling data in real time. This streamlines the data collection process and significantly reduces the likelihood of human error.
Accurate data collection is critical for reliable carbon accounting as it forms the basis for all subsequent calculations and reporting.
How much does carbon accounting usually cost?
The cost of carbon accounting varies widely depending on the complexity of your operations and the software features required. Prices can range from a few thousand dollars to over $100,000 annually.
What about the future of carbon accounting?
The future of carbon accounting looks promising, with increasing regulatory requirements and technological advancements driving more accurate and comprehensive solutions. The demand for real-time data and enhanced reporting capabilities is expected to grow.
What is a good example of carbon accounting?
A good example of carbon accounting is how a company measures its total emissions from production to distribution, identifies hotspots, and implements targeted reduction strategies to achieve net-zero goals.
What is the best carbon calculator?
Arbor’s carbon calculator, launched in 2021, is highly recommended for its accuracy and automation capabilities. It offers detailed emissions measurements tailored for the apparel industry and is expanding to include comprehensive tracking for buildings and other sectors.
Are carbon calculators accurate?
Yes, but the accuracy can vary significantly between different tools. In a 2021 survey, executives estimated an error rate of up to 40% in emissions calculations. Some calculators, like Arbor's, are designed to minimize error, which is crucial as our findings show an average margin of error of over 70% in client data provided by other tools. This underscores the importance of using sophisticated tools for precise emissions calculations.
Which company made the carbon calculator?
Arbor developed its carbon calculator in 2021. It can provide detailed, automated emissions measurements. This tool provides precise, actionable insights to help companies achieve sustainability goals.
Why is carbon accounting difficult?
Ben Grande, Arbor’s Chief Technology Officer, highlighted four main problems he sees in carbon accounting:
Incomplete life cycle stages:
Clients often fail to include all relevant stages of their product's life cycle, leading to significant underestimations of the total environmental impact.
Ignored regional differences:
The environmental impact can vary greatly by region. Using global emission factors does not adjust for these geographical variations.
Poor data quality:
The use of generic or outdated data in clients' initial calculations.
Non-adherence to industry-specific frameworks:
A lack of compliance with the proper industry and product category-level frameworks results in calculation inaccuracies.
Is carbon accounting hard?
Carbon accounting can indeed be challenging due to the complexity and variety of data sources required and the need for precise calculations to ensure accuracy.
The process involves collecting and analyzing data from multiple activities, such as energy consumption, transportation, and supply chain operations. Without sophisticated tools, this task can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
However, using specialized carbon accounting software can significantly simplify the process by automating carbon data collection and calculations, reducing the risk of mistakes. Companies investing in advanced software solutions often find it easier to manage and report their carbon emissions accurately.
Which carbon accounting software is best for your business?
It depends on your business size, what you require for your climate strategy, and whether you have reporting needs for compliance or stakeholder engagement. Arbor's carbon accounting software is highly recommended for its comprehensive features and ease of use.
Arbor offers robust data collection, automated reporting, and integration with existing systems, making it ideal for companies of all sizes looking to measure and manage their carbon footprint efficiently. By streamlining emissions tracking and reporting, Arbor helps companies meet regulatory requirements and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.
- Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Look for software that’s easy to deploy and doesn't require extensive customization.
- Large Enterprises: Opt for scalable solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure and provide detailed analytics.
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