Cleartrace Blog

Scope 2 Emissions: Location-Based vs. Market-Based Carbon Accounting Methods

For organizations working to decarbonize their operations, there is a viable tension between sourcing clean energy locally or regionally through utilities and power purchase agreements (which can be more difficult, costly, and time-consuming) versus sourcing through Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), which is often a quantity-over-quality scenario and more expeditious […]
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Biggest Pitfalls Corporations Face with Net Zero Commitments

Answering the climate challenge and managing operational impacts is one of the largest challenges facing companies, particularly corporations with large regional or global footprints. As enterprise businesses scale up ambitions, they run the potential of making major mistakes when it comes to creating and publicizing their net zero commitments—whether those mistakes are intentional or not. […]
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GRESB: Advancing ESG Investment Data for Real Estate & Infrastructure

The health of our environment, sustainable conditions for our communities, social and economic equity, and reliable government policies are essential to growth and business prosperity. Yet, stacks of well-meaning books and hours of informed dialogue are not enough to assist in the unblinking world of large investment firms, whether hedge funds, banks, REITs, or fiduciary […]
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Shelton Group: Growing the Low-Carbon Economy with Sustainability Marketing

Sustainability marketing is a booming industry. As the carbon footprint expands globally, companies are racing to incorporate environmentally friendly practices. Saving the planet may be a necessary pursuit but building market share is real business. The $16 billion-dollar green technology and sustainability industry of 2022 is expected to grow into an $80 billion dollar business […]
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Understanding Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions—How to Take Responsibility for Emissions This Year

With the growing focus today on corporate carbon footprints, enterprise organizations and smaller businesses alike have a vested interest in understanding different emissions scope levels—and it’s not just about proving an organization’s energy output.  Forward-thinking business leaders must take time to understand the GHG Protocol and emissions scope levels as a way to gain better […]
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Iron Mountain: Playing The Long Game Against Climate Change

Decarbonizing the energy grid is a global imperative in the race to mitigate climate change. Companies across all sectors are galvanized to go sustainable, setting big goals to reduce emissions and commit to clean power. Every business has a unique sustainability strategy. Many organizations hire dedicated sustainability teams to interpret emission metrics and manage their […]
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What Is 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy & Why It Matters

In the world of energy and climate change efforts, terminology is crucial. Although the right concepts catch the public eye and can become buzzwords that pave the way for corporate action and policy changes, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between or properly define the most common ones in use. One example of this involves the […]
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Op-Ed: Why Renewable Energy Is the New Must-Have Building Amenity

Originally published on Commercial Observer: To be competitive in today’s business environment, real estate companies need to prove their commitment to sustainability or face customer, investor and media backlash. Using 100 percent renewable energy to meet electricity needs is one of the most powerful steps a company can take to advance corporate sustainability. Businesses Many […]
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100% Renewable vs 24/7 CFE : What’s the Difference?

Early on in discussions with new customers, the Cleartrace team often gets asked what the difference is between procuring 100% renewable energy and 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE). In short, reaching 100% renewable energy can be achieved more easily than the higher bar of 24/7 CFE, but in a way that makes it more difficult to […]
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Benefits & Barriers of 24/7 Hourly Matching

Organizations globally are wrestling with both the volatile cost of energy and how to meet the goals they set for adopting clean energy and/or reducing their carbon impact. That clean energy can be sourced from onsite generation, offsite power plants through corporate power purchase agreements or from the local grid. For those organizations working to […]
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Introduction to Carbon Accounting Software

With risks from climate change at the forefront of many boardroom and investor conversations today, corporations are facing increased pressure to have more to show for their efforts than broad goals with far-off timelines or summary bullet points in their ESG reporting. Measurable, organized, and clean data helps companies document their true carbon footprint — […]
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