Create a carbon footprint: software solutions 2026

These are the 8 best software solutions to create a carbon footprint in 2026:

Dcycle
Normative
Plan A
Watershed
Greenly
Sweep
Persefoni
Sphera

Creating a carbon footprint means systematically collecting all greenhouse gas emissions of a company, categorising them under the GHG Protocol into Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3, and reporting them as CO2 equivalents (tCO2e): the methodological foundation for CSRD reporting, SBTi submissions, CDP questionnaires and internal climate strategies.

Creating a carbon footprint is no longer optional for companies: CSRD requires reporting companies to produce a complete GHG inventory under ESRS E1, supply chain obligations increase pressure on Scope 3 transparency, and banks increasingly require carbon footprint data for lending decisions.

This article presents the 8 best software solutions to create a carbon footprint, explains the process step by step, and shows what matters when choosing software.

The 8 best software solutions to create a carbon footprint in 2026

1. Dcycle

Dcycle is a SaaS platform for complete carbon footprint creation under the GHG Protocol and connects emissions calculation directly with all regulatory requirements: CSRD under ESRS E1, EU Taxonomy, LkSG and SBTi.

What sets Dcycle apart from simple carbon calculators: the platform does not only create the carbon footprint, but prepares results directly for all reporting obligations. Emissions data collected once flows automatically into CSRD reports under ESRS E1, SBTi submissions, CDP questionnaires and EU Taxonomy analyses, with no duplicate collection.

Create a carbon footprint with Dcycle:

Scope 1 collected automatically: stationary combustion, mobile sources, process emissions, refrigerant leaks.
Scope 2 calculated under both methods: location-based (grid factor) and market-based (GOs, PPAs).
Scope 3 across all 15 categories: from purchased goods and business travel to investments.
ERP, accounting and procurement data imported automatically and converted to tCO2e.
Supplier-specific primary data requested through structured supplier portals.
CSRD- and ESRS-E1-compliant reports exported directly from the platform.

Request a demo and discover how Dcycle fully automates carbon footprint creation.

2. Normative

Normative specialises in methodologically precise and audit-ready carbon footprint creation and offers one of the strongest emissions factor databases on the market. Particularly suited to companies having their carbon footprint externally assured for the first time and needing complete calculation documentation.

What sets Normative apart:

Comprehensive, regularly updated emissions factor database (DEFRA, ADEME, ecoinvent).
Complete calculation documentation for external assurance under CSRD.
Hotspot analysis to prioritise the largest emissions sources.

3. Plan A

Plan A combines carbon footprint creation with climate target planning and sustainability reporting in one system. Especially suited to mid-sized companies that want to create their carbon footprint and track SBTi targets at the same time.

Plan A advantages:

GHG Protocol-compliant carbon footprint creation for Scope 1, 2 and 3.
Integrated SBTi target tracking and climate action planning.
Focus on European frameworks: CSRD, EU Taxonomy, SBTi.

4. Watershed

Watershed is an American platform for enterprise carbon footprint creation, distinguished by deep ERP integrations and a structured Scope 3 methodology. Especially suited to globally operating companies with complex supply chains.

What Watershed offers:

Deep ERP and procurement system integrations for all three scopes.
Primary-data-based Scope 3 calculations for all 15 categories.
Reporting templates for CSRD, CDP and the SEC Climate Disclosure Rule.

5. Greenly

Greenly is a European platform particularly compelling for fast carbon footprint creation and simple onboarding. Well suited to companies that want to quickly produce a first complete carbon footprint.

What Greenly offers:

Fast setup for Scope 1 and Scope 2 accounting.
Guided step-by-step build of the Scope 3 inventory.
Support for CSRD, CDP and SBTi preparation.

6. Sweep

Sweep offers a European platform with a particular focus on Scope 3 data collection across the supply chain and structured supplier engagement programmes. For companies where Scope 3 accounts for the largest share of the carbon footprint.

Sweep strengths:

Structured supplier engagement programmes for Scope 3 Category 1.
Scope 2 optimisation through guarantees of origin and PPAs.
CSRD and CDP reporting from a shared data foundation.

7. Persefoni

Persefoni offers carbon footprint creation with a particular focus on financial institutions: Scope 3 Category 15 (investments) under the PCAF standard for banks, insurers and asset managers.

Persefoni key advantages:

PCAF-standard calculations for portfolio emissions (Scope 3 Cat. 15).
GHG Protocol-compliant carbon footprint creation for all three scopes.
Support for CSRD, TCFD and net-zero banking commitments.

8. Sphera

Sphera offers carbon footprint creation as part of a comprehensive ESG platform with a strong focus on industrial companies and EHS integration, especially strong for site-based Scope 1 calculations.

Sphera strengths:

Site-based Scope 1 calculation for production facilities.
Integration of EHS processes and carbon footprint in one platform.
Scalable for globally operating industrial groups.

What is a carbon footprint and why does it matter?

Definition

A carbon footprint (also greenhouse gas inventory or GHG inventory) is a systematic collection and calculation of all greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by a company’s activities, expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalents (tCO2e) under the internationally recognised GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.

The carbon footprint is divided into three scopes:

Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources: vehicles, heating systems, production processes, refrigerant leaks.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased energy: electricity, district heating, steam and cooling. Must be reported under two methods: location-based and market-based.

Scope 3: All other indirect emissions in the upstream and downstream value chain across 15 categories. Accounts for 70 to 90% of the total carbon footprint at most companies.

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Carbon footprint vs. GHG inventory vs. climate balance: The terms are often used interchangeably and mean the same thing: a complete capture of all greenhouse gas emissions under the GHG Protocol, not just CO2. Methanol, nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and fluorinated gases are all expressed in tCO2 equivalents to create a uniform comparison basis.

Why creating a carbon footprint is mandatory today

CSRD and ESRS E1: Reporting companies must disclose Scope 1, Scope 2 (both methods) and all material Scope 3 categories, including a climate transition plan.

SBTi: Without a complete carbon footprint, no SBTi submission is possible. The Science Based Targets initiative requires a GHG Protocol-compliant baseline as a submission prerequisite.

Supply chain transparency: Large customers increasingly require carbon footprint data from suppliers for their own Scope 3 reporting. Suppliers without a carbon footprint lose tenders to competitors with verified emissions data.

Financing: Banks and investors integrate carbon footprint data into lending decisions and ESG ratings. Companies without a reliable carbon footprint increasingly pay a risk premium on financing.

Step by step: create a carbon footprint

Step 1: Define system boundaries and consolidation approach

Before the first emissions collection begins, system boundaries must be clearly defined: which subsidiaries, sites and business units are included? The GHG Protocol offers two consolidation approaches: equity share or control (operational/financial control). The chosen method must be applied consistently across all reporting periods.

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Operational control as standard: Most companies choose the operational control approach, which includes all operating sites over which the company has operational control, regardless of ownership share. This approach is most widely used for CSRD and SBTi and leads to a more comprehensive carbon footprint.

Step 2: Conduct Scope 3 materiality analysis

Not all 15 Scope 3 categories are equally relevant for every company. A materiality analysis identifies categories that account for more than 1% of total emissions and must therefore be disclosed for CSRD and SBTi. This concentrates data collection effort on the most relevant sources.

Step 3: Collect activity data

The biggest hurdle in creating a carbon footprint is data availability:

Scope 1 data: Energy bills for gas and heating oil, fuel consumption of the vehicle fleet, production data for process emissions, refrigerant quantities for air conditioning systems.

Scope 2 data: Electricity bills, district heating and steam invoices, guarantees of origin (GOs) for the market-based approach.

Scope 3 data: ERP procurement data for Category 1, travel expense reports for Category 6, HR data for Category 7, logistics data for Categories 4 and 9.

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ERP as the main data source for Scope 3: Accounting and the ERP system contain most data needed for Scope 3 inventory creation: procurement volumes by supplier (Cat. 1), travel expense receipts (Cat. 6), lease contracts (Cat. 8). Direct ERP integration is the most efficient path to a complete Scope 3 inventory without manual data entry.

Step 4: Apply emissions factors

Emissions factors convert activity data into tCO2e: litres of diesel × diesel emissions factor = tCO2e. Recognised sources include DEFRA, ADEME, ecoinvent and the IEA (for country-specific electricity factors). Primary data from suppliers is preferred over database averages under the GHG Protocol.

Step 5: Validate, document and report

After calculation, the carbon footprint is plausibility-checked: comparison with industry benchmarks, review of unusual outliers, documentation of all assumptions and methodology. The result is published in the CSRD report under ESRS E1, the CDP questionnaire or the SBTi submission form.

5 criteria for the best carbon accounting software

1. Full GHG Protocol compliance

The software must explicitly implement the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and the Scope 3 Standard: all six Kyoto gases, all 15 Scope 3 categories, both Scope 2 methods and both consolidation approaches (equity share, operational control).

2. Automated data integration

Manual data entry is the biggest time sink when creating a carbon footprint. Good software offers native connectors to ERP, accounting, procurement and HR systems and reduces annual effort from weeks to days.

3. Audit-ready documentation for CSRD

External assurance under CSRD requires complete documentation: emissions factors used, calculation methodology, data sources and change history. The software must provide complete audit trails and source evidence for every data point.

4. Direct connection to CSRD, SBTi and CDP

Carbon footprint data is needed for multiple frameworks simultaneously. Choose a platform that prepares the same dataset for CSRD reports, SBTi submissions and CDP questionnaires without duplicate data entry.

5. Supplier integration for Scope 3 primary data

For a precise Scope 3 inventory, supplier-specific primary data is preferred over database estimates. A platform with structured supplier portals for data collection enables a gradual transition from spend-based estimates to reliable primary data.

Dcycle meets all five criteria. Discover in a free demo how the platform fully automates your carbon footprint creation.

Request a demo

Dcycle: create a carbon footprint fully automated

From data collection to CSRD report

Dcycle automates the entire carbon footprint creation process: activity data is automatically imported from ERP, accounting and procurement systems, converted with current emissions factors from DEFRA, ADEME and ecoinvent, and output as a complete GHG Protocol-compliant carbon footprint.

The resulting carbon footprint is simultaneously the foundation for the CSRD report under ESRS E1, the SBTi submission, the CDP questionnaire and the EU Taxonomy analysis, with no duplicate collection, no manual transfer, no inconsistencies.

Scope 3 with supplier integration

The most demanding part of carbon footprint creation is Scope 3. Dcycle supports gradual build-up: spend-based estimates from ERP data as a starting point, structured supplier portals for the transition to primary data, and automatic inventory updates when new supplier data arrives.

Carbon footprint as the foundation for climate strategy

A carbon footprint is not only a reporting document but the starting point for climate strategy: reduction targets under SBTi, climate transition plan under CSRD/ESRS E1-1, and prioritised decarbonisation measures. Dcycle connects carbon footprint creation directly with decarbonisation planning in one platform.

See Dcycle in action. In 30 minutes we show you how your carbon footprint is created fully automatically and prepared for CSRD, SBTi and CDP.

Book a free demo

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How much does it cost to create a carbon footprint?

Costs vary widely depending on approach. External consultants typically charge between 10,000 and 50,000 euros for a first complete carbon footprint, depending on company size and Scope 3 scope. Specialised software solutions start at a few thousand euros annual fee and enable internal creation and annual updates, which is significantly more cost-efficient long term. Total cost of ownership matters, including internal staff time saved through automation.

How long does it take to create a carbon footprint?

For a first complete Scope 1 and Scope 2 inventory, 2 to 6 weeks is typically realistic with good software. Full Scope 3 inventory across all material categories may take 2 to 4 months depending on data availability and supplier integration. From the second year onwards, effort reduces significantly as data structures and processes are already established.

Does a carbon footprint need to be externally assured?

Under CSRD, the entire sustainability report, including emissions disclosures under ESRS E1, requires external assurance: initially with limited assurance, prospectively with reasonable assurance. For SBTi submissions, external assurance is not mandatory but is voluntarily undertaken by many companies to strengthen credibility.

Can SMEs create a carbon footprint?

Yes. Even if SMEs are usually not directly subject to CSRD, they are increasingly asked by CSRD-obligated customers and suppliers to provide emissions data, as these need Scope 3 data from their supply chain (Category 1) for their own CSRD report. SMEs that create a carbon footprint early strengthen their competitive position as suppliers and prepare for possible future reporting obligations.

What is the difference between carbon footprint, CO2 footprint and GHG inventory?

The terms are often used interchangeably. Carbon footprint and GHG inventory are the most common terms for a complete emissions calculation under the GHG Protocol. All capture not only CO2 but all six Kyoto greenhouse gases, weighted by global warming potential (GWP100) and expressed in tCO2 equivalents.

How do you update a carbon footprint annually?

After the first inventory year, the annual update process simplifies significantly: data structures, system boundaries and emissions factors are already established. With a platform like Dcycle that automatically imports activity data from ERP and accounting systems, annual update effort reduces to reviewing new data, adjusting changed system boundaries and updating emissions factors. The inventory can be kept continuously current rather than rebuilt once a year.