Free carbon footprinting tool goes online for UK business

Service-based British SMEs will be able to analyse and make adjustments to their supply chain using the software, putting them in greater control of decisions relating to up to 90% of emissions.

UK environmental specialist Ecologi has announced its bespoke carbon footprinting tool, Ecologi Zero, will be available free of charge via the Xero App Store. 

Developed with renowned carbon and emissions expert Professor Mike Berners-Lee, the software is designed to help companies decarbonise and reduce emissions faster by offering decision makers in-depth reporting on the exact impact of their corporate supply chain, in turn making it easier to identify where changes need to be made to improve green credentials. 

Accessed via an easy-to-use dashboard, the programme can build a thorough understanding of a firm’s overall footprint, highlighting ’emission hotspots’ with each transaction assigned an emissions factor based on pollutant output. 

The decision to make the software available to small firms for free has come after COP27, when the UN made calls for stronger guidance on Net Zero pledges, and greater assistance in achieving carbon neutrality. According to figures by the Science Based Targets Initiative, less than 1% of the UK’s SMEs submitted Net Zero proposals in 2021, while the British Business Bank believes just 6% of companies will have measured their carbon footprint in the past five years.

‘The 1.5 goal may now be unachievable without a major transformation in how businesses operate. If the UK is to reach net-zero by 2050, we need businesses, government and wider society to urgently come together to reduce emissions. At Ecologi, we want to build trust around the decarbonisation process, showing businesses that taking climate action can be simple and rewarding – with no prior experience needed,’ said Elliot Coad, Ecologi CEO. 

‘Small businesses already have so much on their plates, and many just don’t have the same resources to focus on sustainability. But they are very keen to be more sustainable and are looking for solutions all the time. The good news is that technology is helping to level the playing field and break down the barriers. Working with Ecologi will help us give more UK small businesses access to the data they need to make more sustainable decisions, and ultimately reduce their impact on the planet,’ added Alex von Schirmesiter, Xero’s UK Managing Director. 

Learn about Ecologi Zero here, or revisit our recent story about a new database of global greenhouse gas emissions, which was launched at COP27 by former-US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, collated by the non-profit Climate TRACE.

Image: Ecologi