Are you ready to count your carbon?

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, as currently proposed, would require companies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions over time , starting in 2012. This is a seismic event for the green movement, and it will necessitate additional compliance costs for all covered companies. At a minimum, they will be asked to count their carbon emissions, something a lot of firms are starting to do now.

Already, notes CNBC, we're seeing the rise of new class of product called enterprise carbon accounting (ECA) software--"to help corporate management understand its carbon liabilities, and to track emissions reductions and other sustainability goals, like waste management and water usage." GTM Research published a report last month listing 51 entrants in the ECA derby, including CSRware, Johnson Controls, SAP, Microsoft and Computer Associates. They hope to push firms beyond merely relying on ad hoc, spreadsheet-driven processes.

For more:
- here's the CNBC article

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