Our Technology
Our technical approach to carbon accounting is designed to serve business goals. We utilize sophisticated business rules, the most reliable framework, and our peer-reviewed carbon database to generate insightful statements and metrics. We capture the whole picture of your carbon impact across the supply chain—from materials extraction through product distribution and services. Our technology also ensures that the integrity and momentum of your program is maintained over time and through organizational changes.
Rules
Our rules-based technology has multiple benefits. We develop a model that is tailored to your unique business. The model allows us to efficiently integrate new data, verify and adjust business rules and then run the numbers again. Our approach is rapid and extremely cost-effective—once we set you up in our system we have a robust framework for future iterations. Also, periodic updates allow you to track progress and report regularly to stake holders. Typically, we deliver updates on a quarterly basis so you can include these numbers with financial reports. Reports can also be triggered by rules or events of your choosing.
Framework
The process of integrating and transforming data is just as important as the data quality. Our framework is based on Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment. Hybrid LCA combines the breadth of top-down analysis from economic input-output data which looks at the entire economy, with the granularity of bottoms-up analysis from your company data. We believe that the best way to realize a return on your investment is to begin by understanding your full carbon impact. From this firm footing you can determine the best places for detailed analysis. This approach allows us to be comprehensive, timely and targeted. Unlike other firms, we don't simply use this methology—we helped to create it. Our chief scientist, Dr. Sangwon Suh, is one of the top experts in the world on Hybrid Life-Cycle Analysis.
Data
A cornerstone of our system is a carbon emissions database developed by our Chief Scientist, Dr. Sangwon Suh. The Comprehensive Environmental Data Archive for Economic and Environmental Systems Analysis (“CEDA 3.0 Climate”), known as CEDA, is unique in that it is the only database of its kind that is peer-reviewed by scientists from around the world. As you evaluate other carbon solutions, be sure to understand the quality of their core data and whether they have both the expertise and the commitment to stand behind the data and metrics derived from the data. Our scientists and mathematicians continually expand and refine CEDA by integrating appropriate environmental databases and real-world project data. No other firm has access to this valuable data and the expertise required to develop and maintain the information.
Read an overview of the Structure of CEDA. The CEDA 3.0 database has been widely used for various policy analyses, including the Environmental Impact of Products (EIPRO) study of the European Commission. Executive Summary and Full Publication | Alternate Summary
