Countdown to Copenhagen 2009: Carbon emission management software

Green corporate strategies set to boost demand for CEMS

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Computerworld continues the Copenhagen Countdown series by taking a look at how carbon emission management software can help ICT industry reduce green house gas emissions.

Carbon emission management software, or CEMS, allows organisations to understand how they are using energy and how they are creating emissions. The software is designed to examine which areas or parts of the organisation are the main culprits of carbon emissions and provide information to help companies decide how to improve energy costs and emission output.

It is a systematic approach to collecting and reporting emissions data and is also regarded as a cost-effective method for measuring and reporting on green house emissions by industry analysts.

Perth-based company, BMS Solutions, claims to have been the front runner in developing the first reporting software aimed at simplifying carbon emissions reporting across the Australian business landscape. The Cintellate program uses data collection, measurement and reporting functions and was developed to assist companies meet the reporting requirements under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting System (NGER) Act 2007. Since the release of Cintellate, a variety if CEMS have been introduced to the market and the number of programs available is only expected to increase.

Bob Hayward, Chief Technology Officer for CSC Australia and Asia and National Director of AIIA, says that the ICT industry will see a rise in demand and use of CEMS over the next few years as organisations redevelop corporate strategies that include sustainable technology and ways of doing business.

Hayward said the significance and rising popularity of CEMS software is that it provides a carbon measurement system that highlights problems areas. CEMS will report on emissions periodically, usually annually, and may either be voluntary or be a statutory requirement to comply with an existing law. Organisations looking to achieve the best results when investing in technology, processes or techniques can use CEMS to point them in the in the right direction to reduce energy and costs.

The software provides a framework for collecting and managing an organisation’s non financial data that drives carbon emissions profiles. It also provides a platform to leverage information for intelligent business decision making. CEMS solutions are available through retailers but, as the software needs to be regularly updated, online provides a more popular and practical option; the internet provides access to a range of up-to-date information such as conversion factors, country regulations, reporting stands and carbon pricing and offset opportunities and users can update the program on a more standard basis.

There are also several carbon emission management networks such as CarbonCounted which, in addition to CEMS, provides a nexus for consulting firms and clients to link supply chains, develop greener ways of buying and produce carbon-verified labels for products and services.

Carbonetworks is the largest carbon management network in the world and has been involved in helping companies develop software to manage and reduce their carbon emissions and energy consumption, which includes supporting companies to run energy, greenhouse gas and sustainability initiatives.

Read about more about the technologies that are helping the ICT industry reduce green house gas emissions: power management; virtualisation; and datacentre