Close but No Cigar - Enterprise Software Makers Try to Embrace Climate Change Compliance

Carbon Planning Advocates need to understand how medium to large businesses mange their Business Process in order to see if business behavior and compliance is adpating.


Over twenty years ago most large businesses embraced automation of their businesses processes. This was generally done by IT people, and they used a method called Business Process Engineering. When complete, a busines had bent their busines processes to a new kind of Software called Enterprise Management Software (EMS), or bent the software to their existing process, depending on how much money they were willing to spend.

In the end, almost every step in their business, Operations, Business Intelligence, Accounting, Human Resources, was now managed by an integrated software application. By this time they had invested so much money, time, internal IT Hardware to this process that it was a core function. As the enterpise grows, new "modules" are incorporated into the EMS application. Leaders routinely analyze data generated by the application to support  almost all their decisions.

Why is that important to Climate Change Management policy makers, regulators, academics and professional?

Because when enterpise management software companies begin to write new software modules which  integrate green house gas, energy management tracking, reporting and planning processes into to overall enterpise management software systems, and when when these modules start to sell, corporate behavior is begining to change for the long haul....

 Using this yardstick as a measure of organizational behavior change, the change is just begining.

Enterprise Software makers are getting into the green business in reposne to the EPAs 40 CFR rule part 98 Mandatory reporting of green house gas which goes into effect in January on 1/1/2010, and even in anticipation of possible Cap and Trade legislation. Though the Clean air Act CAA has been in- place for sometime,and even regional emissions caps such as the Acid Rain reporting Program, software companies are launching into the market.
There are software companies creating separate apps for the "Green" compliance, like Intelex but when all the needs are incorporated, the applications will become massive,costly additional applications comepting with Entprprise Mangement Software dollars in the IT budget.

The Specialists and Enterprise Generalists are gearing up for battle, but the market is so large that they will both carve a nice niche from their current client lists. The Specailists have much better applications right now, but eventually, over the next three or so years, the Enterpise software people will cathup with features that better integrate sustainability processes into the companies' operations.
Here is is an example of  th behavior change: SAP is hiring
-Sustain ability Software - that is what SAP is calling their new new sales grouping of modules.

As you can see in the Job advertisemenet below it includes energy management, saftey and maintenanace, Green House Gas Reporting, etc. I am sure they will eventually include Climate Change Management, Carbon Planning, perhaps even energy efficiceny modeling.


SAP is Hiring a sustainability Software Sales Director

Location(s): California - Palo Alto
Industries:

Computer – Software Application

Functions:

Sales – Business Development

Job Type: Fulltime
Compensation:
Description

As the world's leading provider of business software, SAP delivers products and services that help accelerate business innovation for our customers. We believe that doing so will unleash growth and create significant new value – for our customers, SAP, and ultimately, entire industries and the economy at large. Today, more than 46,100 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP applications – from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations.




PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The Sustainability Specialists will work independently with the Americas Field Sales organization to execute on SAP's sustainability sales strategy. While also working in conjunction with the Sustainability team, this person will drive field-level sales engagements.




(NOTE: Sustainability is defined as applications and processes related to 5 topic areas:

•  worker health & safety (EH &;S),
• greenhouse gas/emissions management,
• energy management,
• product safety  & Stewardship,
• and sustainability performance management

The position is expected to be a high performer who is flexible and can use initiative and innovation to address this rapidly developing topic area. The individual will work as a field support sales person in support of all sustainability sales activities. Topics can include but are not limited to:
-- Sustainability Sales and Revenue targets
-- Regional targets for Customer Sat and Profitability
-- New product launch support

The Rest @ 6figurejobs.com





-Lee Royal

Carbon Accounting Software - a 7 - $Billion Market

Published, 2 OCtober, 2009. (WSJ)

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--A recent move by U.S. regulators means more paperwork for companies emitting greenhouse gases. That's a boon for the emerging environmental-software industry.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule that will require annual reporting from 10,000 facilities that account for 85% of the emissions that contribute to potentially catastrophic climate change. The first such reports detailing types of emissions and volumes are due to the EPA on March 31, 2011.

Ripple effects from the U.S.'s shift toward addressing global warming under the administration of President Barack Obama are now being felt beyond industries such as power generation and crude-oil refining that are directly affected. Software start-ups as well as software giants SAP AG (SAP) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) have taken note and rolled out products.

The EPA rule was a "tectonic shift" for the niche industry, said Lawrence Goldenhersh, founder and chief executive of Enviance, a provider of Web-based greenhouse-gas emissions solutions.

The global market for carbon accounting, collecting data and consulting services is expected to balloon from $510 million in 2009 to $7 billion-$9 billion in two to three years, said Paul Baier, vice president of consulting firm Groom Energy Solutions. SAP, which acquired Clear Standards earlier this year for an undisclosed sum to enter the market, estimates that the untapped potential is $15 billion worldwide.

Even if Congress fails to pass wide-ranging climate change legislation, demand for such services will continue to grow due to shareholder and consumer demands for information, Baier said.

Enviance's software-as-a-service model is one of the most efficient ways to manage carbon data, according to Verdantix, an independent research firm. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company boasts 12,000 customers - half of which are Fortune 1000 firms - that subscribe to software that helps them manage compliance with thousands of local and federal environmental, health and safety codes. That client base represents a huge opportunity for Enviance if they sign on for services to help them adhere to the new EPA rule, Goldenhersh said.

Major customers include American Electric Power Co. Inc. (AEP), Chevron Corp. (CVX), E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. (DD), PG&E Corp. (PCG) and the U.S. Army.

Enviance's core software, customized for every facility, sends alerts when there is a chemical leak or ahead of compliance deadlines. Designed by emissions experts, the software accurately measures carbon output based on the type of greenhouse gas emitted, whether its carbon dioxide, methane or another compound.

An Internet-based dashboard lets managers view emissions for specific plant processes or on a company-wide level.

This year, the company turned profitable for the first time and is expected to generate $20 million in sales. Enviance has raised $31 million in venture capital money since it was founded a decade ago. Enviance's revenues could grow 30% annually over the next three to five years as more companies look to comply with the EPA rule, said Dan Miklovic, research vice president for Gartner, a technology research firm.

There's also a profit motive. Tweaking consumption patterns can reduce energy costs by at least 5%-8%. The environmental-compliance software typically saves customers $500,000 annually per facility and frees up employees who were inputting data on spreadsheets for other tasks, Goldenhersh said.

So, it's no surprise that software giants are starting to latch onto the trend. SAP is one of Enviance's biggest threats, but Gartner's Milcovic said that their system "is based more on breadth than depth." SAP, though, is making a big push in this industry and is using its entire salesforce to get its base of 90,000 customers to adopt its own web-based carbon-management software.

The pipeline of Clear Standards' new projects has quadrupled since the acquisition was announced in May, said Anirban Chakrabarti, vice president of SAP Carbon Impact and former CEO of Clear Standards. Last week, SAP announced it is teaming up with Microsoft and Accenture Plc (ACN) to develop analytical carbon-reporting tools.

While acknowledging that Enviance may have an edge for their environmental-compliance solutions at local plants, Chakrabarti said, "we believe in the next 12 months we are going to be so far ahead."

The key difference, he noted, is that Enviance is building its base through various corporate departments while SAP's has cemented its relationships "on the board level."

Still, SAP's pursuit of snagging carbon-management business with large corporations leaves plenty of room for niche firms to thrive. Enviance's combination of environmental-compliance software and carbon-management solutions could make it a prime takeover target. CEO Goldenhersh said the company has been receiving offers but has no imminent plans to merge or go public.

The Rest @ The Wall Street Journal

Verdiem- Network Admins to Manage PC Power Settings, Reduce GHG Emissions

According to a study conducted by Gartner, PCs and monitors account for 40% of all global information technology CO2 emissions. Data centers account for only 23%.

A company named Verdiem, which is based in Seattle, WA is working to cut down energy costs and usage for corporations which save $20-$60 per PC per year and achieve payback in 6-12 months.

So how does their software solution work?

They have a solution call SURVEYOR and its the industry’s most advanced solution for helping enterprises manage, measure and reduce their PC-network energy consumption.

SURVEYOR allows the central administration of power management settings for networked PCs. Intelligent policies maximize energy savings by placing machines into a lower power states without interfering with end-user productivity, desktop maintenance or upgrades.

Green Energy TV gives Verdiem Two Green Thumbs Up! for their software solution that saves energy, money, and the environment. Below are some testimonials:

“WaMu has cut its PC-related greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent and is on track to save $3 million on electricity costs this year” by implementing Verdiem's SURVEYOR software. (Debora Horvath, CIO, Washington Mutual).

The Rest @ Green TV

First Solutions Certified as a Validation and Verifying Body

Boonton, NJ - January 8, 2009 With so much confusion regarding the validity of carbon credits here in the United States, First Environment recently completed a program to standardize the process for documenting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions.

Working with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), First Environment has been accredited as a Validation and/or Verification Body (VVB). This program will facilitate the true reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the environment.

ANSI coordinates development and use of voluntary consensus standards in the United States, and represents the needs and views of U.S. stakeholders around the globe.

ANSI launched this pilot accreditation program in early 2008. Lane Hallenback, ANSI Vice President of Accreditation Services said, “This program marks a significant step forward in assuring integrity and consistency in emission reporting and reduction projects across industry sectors and geographical borders. The institute is pleased to join in strengthening consumer confidence and promoting best practices for the validation and verification of GHG emissions.”

As a result of ANSI’s accreditation, The Climate Registry and The California Climate Action Registry recognize First Environment as an accredited 3rd party verifier. In addition, First Environment is accredited for emission reduction projects under the Voluntary Carbon Standard and is the only verification body in the United States accredited for Chicago Climate Exchange.
The benefit of this program is that buyers and sellers of carbon credits can be sure that firms verifying emission reductions possess the technical qualifications to perform such an audit. This will bring order to the marketplace of companies who are claiming to offer the technical expertise to document and reduce the six greenhouse gases that are the primary cause of climate change.

Tod Delaney, President of First Environment says, “We have been working in the industry for 30 years and are pleased to be recognized for our commitment to assuring the integrity and consistency in emission reporting. Standardizing this process and making sure it is transparent is critical to the success of any government regulatory scheme or marketplace driven solution that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

First Environment offers engineering design and implementation services to meet your company’s environmental and sustainability goals. Established in 1977 we are an international leader in emerging environmental standards and have built award-winning Environmental Management Systems for the Westchester County Airport as well. Email Bob Previdi at rwp@firstenvironment.com and for more information about ANSI go to http://www.ansi.org/.

The Rest @ First Environment