Decision numbers
Carbon prices on projects, live grid intensity, hotspots, pathway gaps.
Useful for choosing; often estimates, always labelled.Software · carbon intelligence, defined and cited
Carbon intelligence software: from an emissions inventory to decisions
Carbon intelligence software turns an emissions inventory into decisions: intensity ratios and benchmarks, hotspots, carbon prices and timing.
The term has no legal definition, so this page defines it, shows which UK rules ask for the same numbers, and lists 61 vendors in their own words; this site has tested none and ranks none.
A definition
What is carbon intelligence software? The decision layer above the inventory
Carbon intelligence is a vendor term, not a legal one, used for software that reads an emissions inventory to support decisions.
It sits above the measurement layer covered on carbon accounting software, which multiplies activity by factors under the GHG Protocol.
What it adds is comparison, prioritisation and pricing, and those depend entirely on the inventory beneath them.
So this page tests the decision numbers against the rules that make them trustworthy, not against dashboards.
- 1
Inventory
Scope 1, 2 and 3 from activity data and factors, with the factor year stored.
- 2
Normalise
Intensity ratios against revenue, output, floor area or energy.
- 3
Compare
Against last year, against sites, against named external pathways.
- 4
Prioritise
Hotspots ranked with their data quality.
- 5
Decide
A carbon price on projects, timing against the grid, inputs to scenarios.
Intensity
Which ratios do UK rules already ask for? Two kinds, your choice of denominator
SECR requires at least one ratio expressing the company’s annual emissions against a quantifiable factor associated with its activities, under ¶17 and ¶20G of Schedule 7, and the company chooses the factor.
ESOS asks for an energy intensity ratio for each organisational purpose, under regulation 25C, in energy rather than emissions.
An intelligence product should carry several ratios at once, with your denominators, and keep last year’s alongside.
The calculator beside this works out your own ratio for two years and shows whether emissions or the denominator moved.
Your intensity ratio, this year and last
SECR asks for at least one ratio of annual emissions to a quantifiable factor the company chooses: SI 2008/410 Sch 7 ¶20G.
Check both years used the factor set for their own activity year before reading the change.
Nothing is stored or sent.
The factor problem
Why can a ratio improve with nothing changed? The factor moved
The UK electricity factor in the 2026 DESNZ set fell by about 26% against 2025, mostly grid decarbonisation, with 6 to 7 percentage points from a change of method.
The major changes report explains that the data lag was cut from two years to one, so the change spans two years of grid data.
An intensity chart that crosses those sets shows improvement that no one at the company made.
A product earns the word “intelligence” when it separates real change, denominator change and factor change on every figure.
Read the detailed guidance and references
2025 set, consumed
0.19553kgCO2e per kWh, Table 92026 set, consumed
0.14396kgCO2e per kWh, Table 9Residual mix, gas
65.3%Fuel mix disclosure 2025/26Residual mix, coal
11.4%Fuel mix disclosure 2025/26The factors are from Table 9 of the DESNZ methodology papers; the residual fuel mix is from the fuel mix disclosure data for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
The annual sets and the activity-year rule are on GHG conversion factors.
What moves an intensity figureExplore
What moves an intensity figure
Real change
Less energy or fuel per unit of output.
What moves an intensity figure
The denominator
More revenue, floor area or output in the same emissions.
What moves an intensity figure
The factor set
A new DESNZ set for a new activity year.
What moves an intensity figure
A method change
The 2026 electricity data lag cut from two years to one.
Decision numbers
Which decisions does carbon intelligence support? Price, timing and place
UK SRS S2 ¶29(f) asks whether and how an entity applies a carbon price in decision-making, and the price per tonne it uses, so a priced project appraisal can become a disclosure.
NESO’s Carbon Intensity API publishes half-hourly GB grid intensity, which helps move flexible demand to cleaner hours but is not the reporting factor.
For buildings, CRREM publishes intensity pathways by country and property type and treats the misalignment year as its primary output.
The same inventory feeds S2’s ¶29(b)–(d) amounts and percentages of assets exposed to transition and physical risks, covered on climate risk software.
Same
inventory
inventory
Reported numbers
The closed inventory, the ratios and the S2 metrics on the factor set for the year.
Final, reproducible and cited.Independent benchmarks
Who has benchmarked carbon software? Two analysts, two dates
This site ranks no products, but two analyst firms publish evaluations of this market, and they are worth reading with their dates.
Verdantix’s Green Quadrant for enterprise carbon management software (2026) evaluated 21 vendors, and its press release names eight as Leaders: Cority, IBM, Schneider Electric, Sphera, Sweep, UL Solutions, Watershed and Wolters Kluwer.
The Forrester Wave for sustainability management software, Q2 2024, used 24 criteria and 13 providers, and is two years older.
Both reports are paywalled; the publishers’ own pages are the citable record of what they say.
Analyst benchmarks, as publishedExplore
Analyst benchmarks, as published
Verdantix 2026
Green Quadrant: Enterprise Carbon Management Software; 21 vendors evaluated.
Analyst benchmarks, as published
Eight Leaders
Cority, IBM, Schneider Electric, Sphera, Sweep, UL Solutions, Watershed and Wolters Kluwer.
Analyst benchmarks, as published
Forrester Q2 2024
Sustainability Management Software; 24 criteria, 13 providers.
Analyst benchmarks, as published
Read the date
The two describe different markets at different moments.
The tests before you sign
Which questions test a carbon intelligence tool? Eight, each tied to its rule
Each question beside this names the rule or data owner it comes from and what a passing answer looks like.
Run them on two years of your own data, so the factor change is in the test.
This site has tested no products
Nothing on this page is a rating, ranking or recommendation of any product.
Carbon intelligence demo questions · tick the ones you need
The pass tests are our reading of the cited provisions.
Nothing you tick is stored or sent.
The vendors
Who sells carbon intelligence software? 61 vendors, in their own words
Every vendor this site files under carbon accounting or API, alphabetically, which ranks nothing, each linked to its own site and its profile here.
The registry covers 73 vendors across all categories, read 11 October 2026 and 30 September–1 October 2026.
61 vendors · carbon accounting, api
“Altruistiq helps companies with complex value chains go faster and further on sustainability”
“Intelligent AI that measures, reduces, and reports Scope 1–3 and LCA emissions in line with CDP, SBTi, CSRD, and CBAM requirements”
“Benchmark Gensuite is a unified EHS management software platform built on a single architecture—connecting safety, environmental compliance, and operational risk across every site”
“Our software provides companies and financial institutions with precise accounting of the emissions caused by making, shipping and using critical commodities and products around the globe”
“Climatiq delivers the reliable data, easy-to-use tools, and deep integrations businesses need to understand their carbon impact”
“Measure, reduce, and report your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions”
“The professional benchmarking and reporting platform built for sustainability consultants, SMEs, and the platforms that serve them”
“Coolset gives supply chain and ESG teams the structure, automation and guidance to meet complex compliance requirements like EUDR, PPWR and CSRD, and manage Scope 1-3 emissions”
“One AI-enabled EHS software platform to drive performance across employee health, safety, quality, environmental, and sustainability”
“Cozero helps enterprises steer decarbonization with the same rigor as financial performance, from data collection to investment decisions and regulatory disclosure”
“Dcycle is an ESG software platform founded in 2020 that helps companies collect, manage, and govern sustainability and non-financial data”
Diginex describes carbon accounting, sustainability reporting, supply chain, human rights monitoring and ESG investor intelligence for asset managers, banks and companies.
Diligent’s carbon accounting page describes a solution that “automatically collates your data and produces up to 80 different pre-configured audit-ready reports”.
Ecologi describes itself as a B Corp-certified climate action platform.
EcoOnline sells software to manage EHS and compliance.
“The Emitwise platform is now part of Green Project, where the team continues to build and deliver end-to-end decarbonization solutions”
“Enablon is Wolters Kluwer’s integrated software platform for environment, health and safety, PSM, and enterprise oversight, with ESG capabilities embedded as part of a broader risk approach”
“Collect, analyze, and report sustainability, financial, and risk KPIs with 10+ software modules – individually or in line with official standards”
“Manage safety, compliance, ESG, sustainability and operational risk from a platform built to keep programs reliable across sites, teams and operational change”
“The climate management platform built on AI, backed by dedicated sustainability experts”
“Measure, report, and reduce your company's emissions on one audit-ready sustainability management platform”
IBM describes Envizi as a “compliance ready solution for ESG data”.
“Ideagen Carbon Accounting is an AI-powered solution designed to address complex multi-region ESG reporting challenges in carbon accounting”
“Bring safety, environment, and quality workflows into one connected platform”
IsoMetrix sells software to “manage their environmental, health, safety, sustainability, and social risks”.
“Makersite’s Product Lifecycle Intelligence software brings together your cost, environment, compliance, and risk data in one place”
“Manglai is a platform to manage all of your environmental impact”
“Measurabl makes subjective sustainability data objective”
Microsoft Sustainability Manager
“Track and reduce your environmental impact using data and AI”
A carbon management platform that, in Novisto’s words, “simplifies the collection, calculation, and reporting of corporate carbon footprints”.
“Net Zero Now exists to provide a simple, credible and affordable route to Net Zero for SMEs and to celebrate and promote those that achieve this vitally important goal”
“Normative is a carbon accounting platform that helps companies calculate, report, and reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions using 349,000 verified emission factors”
“Novata is a sustainability data management platform built for private market investors, deal teams, banks, and companies that need a scalable way to collect, manage, and act on sustainability data”
“One digital solution for sustainability planning, data management, reporting, analysis and action - built for enterprise”
“Our platform empowers organizations to accurately measure and manage scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with direct and actionable information”
Oracle Fusion Cloud Sustainability
“Oracle Fusion Cloud Sustainability is a new offering to capture environmental, social, and governance data for any kind of activity that has a sustainability impact”
“osapiens is the AI platform for compliance and supplier intelligence to help companies manage risk and become more resilient”
Persefoni describes software and AI tools to manage an organisation’s “sustainability data, disclosures, and performance”.
“Your certified software for reliable emissions intelligence to measure, report and reduce your carbon footprint”
“We guide businesses in understanding their emissions, empower them to develop carbon reduction plans, and supporting them on their journey to net zero”
Position Green describes “a sustainability reporting and management platform that combines powerful software with expert advisory services”.
“Pulsora is an AI-powered sustainability and carbon management platform that automates data collection, measurement, and reporting workflows for sustainability teams”
“Digitally handle occupational safety, quality, sustainability, and environmental management”
“It leverages the full power of the Salesforce ecosystem by pulling an organization’s sustainability data into one place and creating actionable insights to guide strategic decisions”
“Measure your full carbon footprint, build your net zero strategy and develop in-house expertise with a single partner”
SAP Sustainability Footprint Management
“Decarbonize your value chain and calculate your corporate and product carbon footprint at scale with ERP-centric, AI-enabled carbon management”
“Seedling is an all-in-one carbon accounting and Net Zero planning platform for businesses of up to 2000 FTEs”
ServiceNow Operational Sustainability Management
“ServiceNow Operational Sustainability Management helps organizations manage, visualize, and report on sustainability efforts and risks across environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs”
“SimaPro is life cycle assessment software that helps organizations measure, analyze, and reduce environmental impacts using robust datasets, scientific methods, and transparent modeling”
SINAI describes “audit-grade Scope 1–3 accounting, automated compliance reporting, complete supply chain visibility” and decarbonisation planning for global enterprises.
“Small99 Hero creates a pathway to net zero for you based on your industry, outlining how long your Net Zero journey will take and how much it will cost”
“Sphera unifies risk, safety and sustainability into a single enterprise-wide view — connecting intelligence across operations, products and supply chains”
“Sweep's AI turns sustainability data into measurable business performance”
“Manage sustainability metrics intelligently in medium-sized businesses - through automated processes, AI-powered carbon accounting, and audit-proof ESG reports”
“Terrascope is an enterprise carbon management and decarbonisation platform for companies with complex supply chains”
“Trace combines AI-powered software with expert advisory support to help organisations meet their mandatory climate and sustainability reporting obligations, efficiently and with confidence”
“Unravel Carbon is the climate platform helping companies with global supply chains make data-driven decisions”
“Carbon accounting is often the first step companies take toward climate disclosure, compliance, and action—and with Watershed, it’s part of your complete enterprise sustainability platform”
Workday (supplier sustainability)
“Turn sustainable sourcing into a competitive advantage with Workday supplier sustainability solutions”
“Workiva Carbon is an end-to-end carbon accounting software solution that enables organizations to measure, manage, collaborate on, and report emissions data”
“Carbon management software with experts built in, so you can move from measurement to action without spreadsheets or one-off consulting projects”
Alphabetical, which ranks nothing.
Each description is the vendor’s own words from its own site, read 11 October 2026 and 30 September–1 October 2026; prices appear only where the vendor publishes one.
No product here has been tested by this site.
These platforms bring real strengths in data, analytics and decision support; the descriptions are their own, and the questions above are the fair way to compare them on your data.
61 vendors, own wordsExplore
61 vendors, own words
Carbon accounting and API
61 vendors in this site’s registry.
61 vendors, own words
Alphabetical
The order ranks nothing.
61 vendors, own words
Their own words
What each vendor says about itself, read 11 October 2026 and 30 September–1 October 2026.
61 vendors, own words
Ask in writing
How the product separates factor change from real change.
For the board
A carbon figure only informs a decision when you know what moved it.
| What we know | What to do first |
|---|---|
| SECR needs at least one emissions intensity ratio you choose | Pick denominators that match how you run the business |
| The 2026 electricity factor fell about 26% | Split every year-on-year change into real, denominator and factor |
| S2 ¶29(f) asks for any internal carbon price used | Record where a price is applied and at what level |
| Live grid intensity is not the reporting factor | Keep decision numbers and reported numbers apart |
Frequently asked
Carbon intelligence software, answered
What is carbon intelligence software?
There is no legal or standard definition.
Vendors use the term for software that turns an emissions inventory into decisions: intensity ratios and benchmarks, hotspot analysis, internal carbon prices, timing energy use against the grid, and inputs to scenarios. This page uses it in that sense.
Is carbon intelligence different from carbon accounting?
Carbon accounting produces the inventory: activity data multiplied by factors, by scope.
The intelligence layer reads that inventory to compare, prioritise and price.
It is only as good as the inventory beneath it, so test the accounting first.
Which UK rules ask for intensity ratios?
SECR requires at least one ratio expressing annual emissions against a quantifiable factor the company chooses (Schedule 7 ¶17 and ¶20G).
ESOS requires an energy intensity ratio for each organisational purpose (reg 25C).
Does UK SRS S2 ask for an internal carbon price?
It asks whether and how the entity applies a carbon price in decision-making and, if it does, the price per tonne it uses (¶29(f)).
For listed companies in UKLR 6, 14, 15, 16 and 22 this applies on a comply-or-explain basis for periods from 1 January 2027.
Why did our electricity emissions fall with no change in use?
Because the factor changed.
The UK electricity factor in the 2026 DESNZ set fell by about 26% against 2025, partly through a methodology change that cut the data lag from two years to one.
A good intelligence layer separates factor movement from real change.
Can live grid data improve our carbon figures?
It can improve decisions about when to use electricity.
NESO publishes half-hourly GB grid intensity, but that is an operational figure; the reported location-based Scope 2 uses the DESNZ factor for the activity year.
What is the residual fuel mix?
The mix of generation left after renewable claims are removed, published by DESNZ in the fuel mix disclosure data.
For 2025/26 it was 65.3% natural gas and 11.4% coal, which matters for market-based Scope 2.
Are there independent benchmarks of carbon software?
Two are commonly cited.
Verdantix’s Green Quadrant for enterprise carbon management software (2026) evaluated 21 vendors and names eight Leaders in its press release.
The Forrester Wave for sustainability management software (Q2 2024) used 24 criteria and 13 providers. Each should be read with its date.
How do I benchmark a building?
CRREM publishes carbon and energy intensity pathways by country and property type.
Its primary output is the misalignment year, when a building’s projected trajectory crosses its pathway.
Do small businesses need carbon intelligence software?
Usually not.
One intensity ratio and a year-on-year comparison can be worked out by hand, as the calculator on this page shows.
The case for software grows with sites, products and suppliers.
Has this site tested any carbon intelligence software?
No. The tests on this page are written from SECR, ESOS, UK SRS S2, DESNZ and the data owners, and the vendor list quotes each vendor’s own description of itself.
Sources
Primary sources
Every rule and figure on this page traces to the provision or data owner listed here.
Vendor descriptions are cited on each vendor’s profile to the vendor’s own page.
Checked against 16 sources fromlegislation.gov.ukDepartment for Business and TradeFinancial Conduct AuthorityDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroNESOCRREM Foundation
- legislation.gov.ukSI 2008/410, Schedule 7 Part 7, ¶17
At least one emissions intensity ratio, chosen by the company (quoted companies).
- legislation.gov.ukSI 2008/410, Schedule 7 Part 7A, ¶20G
The same ratio duty for unquoted companies and LLPs.
- legislation.gov.ukESOS Regulations 2014, regulation 25C
Energy intensity ratios for each organisational purpose.
- Department for Business and TradeUK SRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures (PDF), ¶29
Cross-industry metrics, including internal carbon prices.
- Financial Conduct AuthorityPS26/19
Comply or explain for UKLR 6, 14, 15, 16 and 22, periods from 1 January 2027.
- Department for Energy Security and Net ZeroGovernment conversion factors for company reporting
One factor set a year, for the activity year.
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero2026 conversion factors methodology paper
Table 9: the 2025 and 2026 electricity factors.
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero2026 conversion factors: major changes report
The data lag cut from two years to one.
- NESOCarbon Intensity API
Half-hourly GB grid intensity, forecast and actual: an operational number.
- Department for Energy Security and Net ZeroFuel Mix Disclosure data table (2026)
Residual fuel mix and the 2025 CO2 intensity of UK generation.
- CRREM FoundationHow to use CRREM
Building pathways and the misalignment year.
- GHG Protocol (WRI, WBCSD)A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
The inventory every intelligence layer depends on.
- GHG ProtocolCorporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard
Where most hotspots usually sit.
- VerdantixGreen Quadrant: Enterprise Carbon Management Software (2026)
21 vendors evaluated; the publisher’s own report page.
- VerdantixPress release on the 2026 Green Quadrant
Names the eight firms Verdantix places as Leaders.
- Forrester ResearchThe Forrester Wave: Sustainability Management Software, Q2 2024
24 criteria, 13 providers; a 2024 vintage.