The growing trend toward using IT for sustainability took a slightly recursive loop this week as Greenstone Carbon Management unveiled the latest version of its Acco2unt carbon management software.

Version 2.5 of the company's enterprise carbon management tool includes analyses of carbon emissions from a range of ICT equipment, allowing companies to more accurately manage energy and emissions from their technology usage.

The new software calculates the energy consumption of desktop and laptop computers, servers, displays, monitors and network and telephone equipment, using a combination of power ratings and information on active, standby and sleep mode power consumption. The addition comes as companies simultaneously expand their IT use and seek to comprehensively measure and manage their energy and carbon costs.

"We recognize that monitoring energy consumption and carbon emissions from an ICT estate is becoming an important area of focus for our clients who are looking to target their reduction investment in specific business activities," Matthew de Villiers, Chief Executive Officer at Greenstone Carbon Management, said in a statement. "We are also developing propositions with our partners who operate in the ICT space to help them demonstrate carbon, consumption and cost reduction opportunities to their clients through the implementation of their ICT solutions."

Greenstone's software allows companies to gather and report their data not just from ICT but across entire operations in line with a number of protocols, including the U.K.'s Defra protocols, the GHG Protocol, and the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) protocol.

Enterprise carbon and energy management is a rapidly growing market, as a number of startup companies develop software tools to help companies measure and manage their carbon footprinting and reporting goals. GreenBiz.com has created a comprehensive Carbon Management Center that includes tools, resources and in-depth information about what is happening in the market.

IBM and HP recently made big moves in the carbon management market, and BT recently announced it would require its suppliers to measure and manage their carbon footprints. And Schneider Electric and IBM recently made significant acquisitions to increase their presence in the marketplace.

More information from Greenstone Carbon Management, including a look at some corporate case studies, is online at GreenstoneCarbon.com.

_{Photo CC-licensed by adikos.}