Autodesk Offers Free Carbon Management Tool for Businesses

Autodesk, a popular architecture design software company known for its AutoCAD software, is no stranger to green building techniques. But its new methodology for tracking corporate carbon emissions, dubbed C-FACT (Corporate Finance Approach to Climate Stabilizing Targets), is revolutionary. And the company is releasing it to anyone that wants it for free.

Unlike other carbon accounting methods that may punish a company for continued growth, Autodesk's methodology measures CO2 emissions proportional to a company's contribution to the global GDP. "We are trying to communicate that companies are emitters of greenhouse gases but also providers of economy," said Emma Stewart, senior program lead at the Autodesk Sustainability Initiative. "They should aim to reduce emissions proportional to what they give."' The methodology is, according to Autodesk, proportional, verifiable, flexible, compatible, and fair.

The company has also practiced what it's preaching. C-FACT sprouted out of Autodesk's efforts at calculating and setting goals for its own carbon emissions--it plans to cut its yearly carbon emissions by 4.52% in fiscal 2010. It already emits relatively little CO2 compared to companies with larger supply chains. "We ourselves are not big energy users. The way I see it, the biggest impact we can have is inspiring change in others," Stewart explained.

There is a catch to Autodesk's generosity--the company hopes that by offering up C-FACT to customers, they will be more likely to seek out Autodesk's design software solutions for help in cutting down on CO2 emissions.

[Autodesk]