For corporations, getting ahead of climate change is no longer a ‘nice to have’ it is critical for their future success – whether they realise this or not. This was clear at Cleantech Forum Europe with carbon accounting taking centre stage in panels, audience questions and over drinks.

However, as this market rapidly develops, see figure 1, it’s not without growing pains. For those exploring these start-ups and their respective models’ similar questions arose:

• How does one companies’ emissions, run through multiple models have such a high variation in findings?
• What does this tell us about the market?
• What are the risks with inaccurate and incomparable carbon accounting?
• Will oncoming mandatory emissions and risk disclosure regulations address inaccuracies?
• Once a company has the data, what’s next? How can tools encourage action?

The panel on Credible Carbon Accounting hosted some of the best UK and European talent in this market including Pat Stirling, Director of Product at Climatiq; Paul Dickinson, Founder of CDP – who joined virtually – and Anne Reaney, Global Head of Sales at Persefoni. The necessity of these tools in underpinning corporate commitments on climate change was outlined, comparing action on climate as the new dawn of the internet. In tackling the questions above, it was clear there is a need to standardise to enable the ability to compare companies’ performance, that increasing digitization will be a key enabler for this and that real-time data enables real-time decisions to reduce emissions.

Cleantech group will be exploring these questions further in oncoming research on Carbon Accounting, mapping the key players, drivers, challenges, and regulatory impacts. If you would like to be included or have access to this do get in touch with Lead Analyst, Holly Stower.