A B2B SaaS company struggling with an expensive and labor-intensive carbon emissions tracking system transformed their approach with a custom automation solution. By replacing their €30,000 system with a streamlined Airtable and Climatiq integration, they achieved 97% cost reduction and slashed manual data processing time from 80 annually to just 2 hours quarterly, while shifting from year-end reporting to real-time carbon emissions visibility.
About
The client is a forward-thinking B2B SaaS company committed to tracking and managing their carbon footprint as part of their sustainability initiatives. As a technology company, they understood the importance of environmental responsibility but were frustrated with their existing carbon emissions tracking solution. They needed a system that would provide accurate emissions data across multiple departments, cost centers, and offices without consuming excessive financial and human resources.
The Problem
The client faced several critical challenges with their existing carbon emissions tracking system:
High Cost: Their previous solution came with a hefty €30,000 annual price tag, creating significant overhead for what should have been a streamlined process.
Labor-Intensive Data Collection: The system required extensive manual data imports, consuming approximately 80 hours per year of valuable staff time.
Year-End Bottleneck: Due to the manual process, the client typically postponed most of their carbon accounting work until the end of the year. This created an intense period of data gathering and processing as they rushed to compile an entire year's worth of emissions data at once.
Delayed Insights: With emissions data only available at year-end, the company lacked the timely insights needed to make proactive sustainability decisions throughout the year.
Poor Data Quality: The manual nature of the data collection process led to inconsistencies, errors, and gaps in their emissions reporting, particularly when trying to reconstruct activities from months earlier.
Disconnected Travel Systems: The company used two separate travel management tools, but neither integrated properly with their carbon emissions tracking system, creating data silos.
The Solution
A comprehensive, automated carbon emissions tracking system was developed using Airtable as the database foundation and Climatiq as the carbon calculation engine. The solution consisted of four primary components:
1. Core Carbon Emissions Calculation with ERP Integration
An automated workflow was created to calculate carbon emissions based on activity data:
Seamless ERP Connection: Spend data flows automatically from Workday into the carbon accounting system, creating a single source of truth
Real-Time Processing: Financial transactions are continuously transformed into carbon insights without manual intervention
Intelligent Data Enrichment: The system automatically enhances raw financial data with contextual information needed for accurate emissions calculations
Precision Calculations: Leverages Climatiq's specialized carbon accounting API to ensure scientifically sound emissions values
2. Direct API Integration with Navan Travel System
For one of the client's travel tools, a direct API integration was implemented:
Automated Data Capture: Corporate travel data flows directly into the system in near real-time with zero manual effort
Complete Visibility: Ensures all travel-related emissions are captured automatically, eliminating data gaps and processing delays
Intelligent Categorization: Each booking is automatically matched to the correct cost center and appropriate emission factors
Streamlined Compliance: Travel-related carbon data is consistently formatted and ready for reporting without human intervention
3. AI-Powered Processing for Second Travel Tool
For the travel tool without API access, an innovative AI-based solution was developed:
Minimal Manual Input: Staff only need to export travel data once, dramatically reducing administrative burden
Intelligent Document Processing: AI automatically interprets and processes travel information without human analysis
Contextual Data Extraction: Critical information is automatically identified and captured from complex travel records
Self-Maintaining System: Automatically tracks processed entries to prevent duplication and maintain data integrity
Zero-Touch Operation: Once configured, the entire process runs with minimal oversight, freeing staff from repetitive data tasks
AI Powered Automation For Travel Tool Without API
4. Real-Time Reporting Dashboards
The solution includes comprehensive real-time reporting interfaces within Airtable that allow the client to:
Multi-Dimensional Analysis: Instantly visualize emissions across departments, cost centers, offices, and other business dimensions for strategic decision-making
Continuous Performance Monitoring: Track sustainability metrics in real-time instead of waiting for quarterly or annual reports
Proactive Hotspot Detection: Quickly identify emerging emissions trends and outliers before they become significant issues
Customizable Executive Views: Tailor dashboards to different stakeholders' needs, from sustainability teams to C-suite executives
Carbon Accounting Dashboard
The Results
The implementation of this automated carbon emissions tracking system delivered exceptional results:
97% Cost Reduction: Annual expenses dropped from €30,000 to approximately €1,000, resulting in savings of €29,000 per year.
96% Time Savings: The client went from spending 80 hours per year on manual data collection to just 2 hours per quarter for data review, freeing up valuable resources for more strategic initiatives.
Real-Time Visibility: Instead of waiting until year-end for emissions data, the company now has continuous, real-time visibility into their carbon footprint.
Improved Data Quality: By eliminating manual data entry and implementing direct integrations, the solution significantly enhanced the accuracy and completeness of emissions data.
Seamless Travel Data Integration: Both travel tools now feed directly into the carbon emissions tracking system, providing a comprehensive view of travel-related environmental impact.
Conclusion
Through thoughtful automation and integration, this B2B SaaS company transformed their carbon emissions tracking from an expensive, time-consuming, year-end burden into a streamlined, cost-effective process with real-time insights. Not only did they achieve remarkable cost and time savings, but they also gained continuous visibility into their environmental impact throughout the year.
