The landscape of carbon accounting and emissions management platforms has grown significantly in recent years. While many startups initially focused on tracking direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) and energy-related emissions (Scope 2), these account for only about 25% of total global emissions. The remaining 75% fall under Scope 3 emissions hidden within complex supply chains.
In response, startups are now targeting these elusive supply chain emissions. For instance, Clearly secured a $4.3 million seed round to address transportation-related supply chain emissions.
Another example is Nestlé, with its supply chain emissions totaling 113 million tons of CO2, equivalent to the entire GHG emissions of Belgium.
A notable newcomer in this space is Root, a startup focused on decarbonizing agricultural supply chains. Its platform, RootOS, enables food and beverage companies to collect primary data from farmers, allowing for detailed emissions calculations and identification of environmental hotspots within the supply chain.
With an €8 million seed round led by Christoph Janz at Point Nine, Root aims to provide tailored sustainability solutions for the food industry, moving away from generic emissions tracking towards data-driven decision-making based on real-time supplier data.
Root’s platform offers a granular approach to emissions tracking, acknowledging the vast array of variables that influence greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. By collaborating with sustainability and procurement teams, Root helps companies interact with farmers and obtain specific emissions data for accurate carbon calculations.
Currently available in the German-speaking DACH market and select Eastern European countries, Root plans to expand its services across Europe in the near future.
