Greenly Alternative
Below we explain what makes businesses a good fit for us over Greenly (and vice versa).
Seedling: Greenly, streamlined
Greenly is a sophisticated carbon accounting platform, used by sustainability teams at large orgs to get accurate, real-time carbon data, coverage of broad ESG reporting requirements, and on-demand bespoke consulting work.
However, Seedling is designed for even non-experts to use: intuitive software that builds accurate data and Net Zero plans, backed up by 1:1 support. So, if:
- You're a business up to 2000 FTEs
- You want carbon accounting to feel manageable (not like a full-time job)
- You're focused on your carbon footprint (not wider ESG)
Then Seedling might be a great fit for you. Read the table below to find out more.
Scope 1, 2 and 3 accuracy
Both platforms follow the same process. You start by analysing financial data - what you've spent on goods and services - to identify the key hotspots for the business. After that, you drill down on those hotspots and aim to add more accuracy "activity" data (like kWhs of energy used, litres of fuel burned).
Platform ease-of-use
Seedling is designed to be intuitive: it's used by sustainability teams, but also non-experts handling carbon footprinting as a side task. Greenly's more complex functionality (see below) makes it harder to pick up. It's mostly used by large sustainability teams with the time to manage data day-in, day-out.
Time to results
Because of Seedling's simplicity, there is no lengthy onboarding period. With our accounting integrations (Xero, Sage, QuickBooks), built-in employee and supplier surveys, plus AI matching, clients can complete a footprint in days. Greenly's complexity means it takes more time to onboard and get results.
1:1 data guidance
With both platforms, clients get access to a dedicated carbon expert to walk you through the process 1:1 and answer any tricky questions on data input as they come up.
Reporting granularity
Because Greenly is built for large organisations, it facilitates things like entity-level and department-level reporting. Seedling works with 100s of businesses with multiple subsidiaries, but we keep the process simple and combine more datapoints than Greenly would.
Integrations and real-time monitoring
Greenly has built 100+ integrations with different business systems - like ERPs, ad platforms, etc - and can build bespoke APIs on request. These work well for large orgs that want real-time reporting. Seedling has focused on integrating with software used by small and mid-market firms (e.g. accounting systems).
Decarbonisation support
Both platforms go beyond emission measurement and support with decarbonisation. Each features decarbonisation modelling tools and a library of emission reduction actions to choose from, with quantified impacts. Both also include 1:1 decarbonisation support from an expert.
Broad sustainability reporting
Both platforms focus on carbon footprinting: providing robust, reliable Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions data you can trust. However Greenly supports clients with a broad suite of non-carbon work: product LCAs, DPPs, ESG reporting etc. If you need broad sustainability support (not just carbon), Greenly is best.
Bespoke consulting
Seedling provides in-depth 1:1 support to take clients through the platform, but doesn't conduct bespoke projects. Greenly leans more into consulting-style work and is available for things like custom reports, presentations, in-person workshops, etc. This reflects the fact that larger orgs (5000+ FTEs) are often complex in their requirements and need a bespoke approach.
What our clients say
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How Seedling works
Measure, reduce, and report your carbon footprint with simple-to-use carbon accounting software and expert guidance.
Gain an accurate full scope carbon footprint
With our intuitive carbon footprint measurement software, plus support from an expert, measuring an accurate footprint is quick and straightforward for your business.
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Easily identify your emission hotspots
Your Seedling dashboard automatically segments footprint data the way you and your clients need it. Use our deep dive tool to understand your hotspots and plan to decarbonise.
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Build your business' pathway to Net Zero
Track your progress, with our easy-to-use and powerful Carbon Emission Reduction Software for SMEs, and support from an expert.
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Fund verified climate action projects
Invest with confidence in projects verified to reduce or remove carbon and support communities - all from the Seedling platform.
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Produce key emission reports in a click
Share your plans to decarbonise with Seedling's digital toolkit. Reports are automatically generated in the compliant format you need. Simply tweak, sign if needed, and export, or link to the report hosted by Seedling.
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Become a Seedling Certified Business
Seedling's certification recognises businesses that have established a robust plan to reduce carbon emissions, backed by data and climate science.
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One-to-one expert support to manage your business emissions
Unlike many carbon accounting tools, at Seedling we guide you through your climate action journey to ensure you have the best impact and experience possible.
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Trusted By 500+ businesses around the world
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Measure a full-scope footprint, reduce emissions, and share your Net Zero strategy.
FAQs
Your questions answered
Why should I use Seedling?
Designed for SMEs, we make it easy for you to measure an accurate, full-scope footprint, helping you to make confident, informed decisions, backed by data and climate science.
Our mission: to help you make genuine, measurable progress towards Net Zero - without being too time-intensive or breaking the bank.
How do you measure emissions?
Our carbon accounting methodology is aligned to the GHG Protocol, the international gold standard for carbon accounting.
If you need to report your emissions to your stakeholders (e.g. suppliers, regulators), you can rest assured that they've been measured compliantly.
How long does it take to measure my emissions?
Once you start adding your data to the platform, your emissions are calculated instantly.
However, collecting the data can take time, especially if you've not measured your footprint before. We would generally recommend allowing 4 weeks to give you enough time to collect the right data for your business. This assumes your day job carries on as normal, and you spend around 1-2 hours per week finding data (4-8 hours work in total).
If you're in a rush and able to focus, there's no reason you won't be able to complete your footprint in a matter of days.
What data do I need?
There are two types of data that we use for your footprint: spend data and activity data.
Spend data comes from your expenses system: it's the amount you've spent on the goods and services you have purchased as a business.
Activity data covers a much broader range of data sources, and varies depending on what your business does. It includes energy data from bills (in kWh), the distance your fleet has travelled (in miles), and the amount of material you have used in your products (in kg) - among many others.
While spend data is useful for an initial high-level analysis of your hotspots, it doesn't capture everything and it's often inaccurate. As such, you should try to use more accurate activity data as far as reasonably possible.
Seedling is designed to make it easy for SMEs do just that.
How does your employee survey work?
During the process, you'll be able to send out an employee survey via the platform, enabling an accurate assessment of your homeworking and commuting emissions - whilst engaging and educating your employees on sustainability.
After customising the survey for your business, you'll receive a unique link that you can email to all employees, and track responses via the platform.
We'd usually recommend allowing 1-2 weeks to get a good sample.
Still have questions?
Book a demo or get in touch and we'll be happy to help. Or follow this step-by-step guide to measuring your business's carbon footprint.
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