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Groom Energy Declares 2009 the 'Year of Enterprise Carbon Accounting'; Releases Research Study with Pure Strategies Estimating the Number of Firms Disclosing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Will Triple

Posted on: Thursday, 15 January 2009, 07:00 CST

SALEM, Mass., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- As the U.S. welcomes a new presidential administration, companies are preparing for increased pressure to improve and report on their sustainability efforts. According to a research study released this week by Groom Energy and Pure Strategies the number of companies disclosing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) will triple in the next two years, and the number of firms using commercial GHG software will quadruple in the same time period.

Today, an estimated 3,000 companies worldwide track and report GHG emissions. In much the same way that businesses use financial reporting to judge operational performance, many organizations use GHG emissions reporting to measure their sustainability performance -this new category is called: Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA).

'Enterprise Carbon Accounting: An Analysis of Organizational-Level Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting and a Review of Emerging GHG Software Products,' was created as a guide for organizations considering calculating or currently tracking and reporting GHG emissions. According to the study, the tracking process often begins with the use of spreadsheets to manage data, but as it becomes more comprehensive and complex, companies need to invest in commercial ECA software. Forty vendors were identified in the report along with the top 20 things to consider before purchasing ECA software.

"At Groom Energy our focus is helping enterprises make progress toward achieving sustainability and reducing their overall carbon footprint," said Jonathan Guerster, president and CEO of Groom Energy. "The impetus for the report came from customers and prospects looking for more information as we spoke with them about carbon accounting. We are confident that this first-ever market sizing and overview will educate the market with insightful observations and best practices."

The study identifies software packages from 40 different vendors in four categories: offerings from existing environmental health and safety vendors (EHS), new products from larger firms, startup companies, and free tools.

Key findings

• Organizations expect increased carbon regulation, especially in the U.S. with a new Presidential administration;
• Carbon reporting at the organizational-level has become mainstream and participation in voluntary carbon registry programs is expected to triple in 2 years;
• Approximately 3,000 large and small organizations worldwide have calculated carbon emission;
• The market for ECA software is still nascent and an estimated 96 organizations worldwide have deployed a commercial ECA software product;
• Despite the early stage of the current ECA market, 40 vendors offer software products;
• The number of organizations using ECA software is expected to quadruple in the next two years, driven by businesses that have not traditionally invested in environmental software;
• Organizations evaluating ECA software products in 2009 should consider 20 key software features in their vendor evaluation.

"We are seeing a rapid rise in the number of companies who wish to measure, identify and disclose their GHG emissions," said Tim Greiner, managing director of Pure Strategies. "They are doing so to meet the needs of customers, consumers, shareholders, and other stakeholders. With this report, we are able to provide a guide for companies looking to make proper ECA accounting and reporting a priority."

Pricing and Availability

The report is available for $495 per single user and $695 for a company license. To review an abstract of the report or to purchase online, visit www.groomenergy.com.

About Pure Strategies

Pure Strategies provides strategic and operational sustainability consulting services to socially responsible business. Our teams of management consultants, engineers, and scientists, help companies develop and implement green business strategies. From technical audits to product design, lifecycle analysis and strategic planning, Pure Strategies has helped some of the nation's leading eco friendly companies deepen their sustainability efforts. Pure Strategies greenhouse gas inventory practice dates back to 1999 when the company prepared Stonyfield Farms' first ever carbon footprint. Company clients include Seventh Generation, Stonyfield Farms, Mars, Oakhurst Dairy, Unilever, NOLS, Borden Chemical, General Chemical, Air Products, Rockline, and Timberland. For more information on Pure Strategies please refer to www.purestrategies.com.

About Groom Energy Solutions

Groom Energy Solutions provides renewable and energy efficiency solutions to companies across the U.S. The company designs, engineers and installs energy technology projects helping reduce costs while positively affecting the environment. These projects include control systems, daylight harvesting, HVAC, lighting and power factor correction and renewable energy solutions such as architectural wind, solar electric and solar thermal systems. In addition, Groom Energy provides climate impact consulting, demand response program participation, energy commodity purchasing, maintenance programs and financing services.

Groom Energy's customers include: Budweiser, EMC Corporation, General Electric, Ocean Spray and Thermo Fischer Scientific among others. For more information please visit www.groomenergy.com.

SOURCE Groom Energy Solution

Source: PR Newswire

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