← Back to Teaching Sustainability
Era Shah
September 12, 2025
A major element of any company's sustainability strategy is carbon transparency. By reporting their emissions, companies take the first crucial step toward reducing their carbon footprint. In today's rapidly changing climate, this is more important than ever. Not just for the health of our planet, which is facing accelerating environmental decline, but also to stay compliant with growing regulations, investor ESG expectations, and supply chain requirements.
The right tool can help you build trust with stakeholders, uncover reduction opportunities, and stay ahead of tightening legislation. From boardroom conversations to supplier contracts, climate data is becoming a core part of how businesses operate.
At their core, both Aclymate and Watershed are carbon accounting platforms that help businesses track emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3. They automate data collection, offer reduction strategies, and generate audit-ready reports aligned with global standards like the GHG Protocol and CDP.
However, there are key differences between the two platforms.
If your business is just getting started with carbon accounting, you want an affordable option, or you're looking for a tool that won't require having a sustainability expert on your team, Aclymate may be the better fit.
Here's why:
No Sustainability Expertise Needed: The platform walks you through every step. You don't need a climate consultant or ESG manager to get started.
Simple and Transparent Pricing: Plans start at $120/year with no hidden fees and scale based on company size and feature requirements. Unlimited users, locations, and vendors are included in every tier.
Automated Scope 3 Collection: Aclymate allows you to invite suppliers to input their data directly, simplifying one of the most challenging aspects of carbon accounting.
Certification Ready: Whether pursuing B Corp certification or reporting to investors, Aclymate's reports align with major industry standards and will continue adapting to changing compliance requirements.
Watershed is ideal for larger companies with complex data systems and a dedicated team ready to work with Watershed's consultants and implementation partners.
Consider a 40-person design and manufacturing firm supplying to large retailers. The company wants to measure emissions to satisfy supplier requirements and explore B Corp certification but lacks a dedicated ESG lead.
Aclymate provides the tools to launch in days. The platform guides users through inviting suppliers, generating GHG reports, identifying reduction opportunities, and purchasing offsets. Support is available when needed.
Now consider a 5,000-person public company with operations across 10 countries, facing SEC reporting deadlines and needing to integrate with Oracle, SAP, and procurement systems.
Watershed provides the custom data pipelines, regulatory guidance, and integration support to accomplish this.
Whether aiming for certification, preparing for new regulations, or simply wanting to contribute positively, starting now with the right tool is critical. For most small and mid-sized businesses, Aclymate provides the right balance of ease, affordability, and compliance-readiness to get started quickly.
