Zelsius calculates carbon footprint for SMEs
Lucerne/Root - Four researchers from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts have developed an online calculator to work out carbon footprints. The research project resulted in the formation of the spin-off Zelsius. Beyond calculating carbon footprints, Zelsius also helps businesses to cut emissions.
A team of researchers from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts has developed an online calculator that allows SMEs to work out their carbon footprint. The project led to the founding of the spin-off Zelsius, which is headquartered at Technopark Luzern in Root in the canton of Lucerne. The start-up offers SMEs the opportunity to calculate their carbon footprints in addition to supporting them in the development of tailor-made plans for cutting emissions.
The online calculator guides companies step by step through the data collection process, as Zelsius explains in a press release. In this way, no corporate consultancy is required to calculate the carbon footprint, the start-up states. «It was important to us that users without prior knowledge of sustainability reporting and with limited resources could also quickly and reliably work out their company’s carbon footprint», comments Marcel Niederberger, co-founder of Zelsius, in the press release.
In the press release, Zelsius co-founder and CEO Adina Hochuli points out that SMEs are currently unsure as to how their emissions are actually calculated. For this reason, the start-up offers a «non-binding initial consultation». In a next step, the founding team intends to develop a cross-industry process based on uniform emission factors and activity data. «With uniform data, we can not only streamline the audit process for large companies and investors but will also be able to leverage the potential of machine learning in the future so that SMEs can plan effective and economically beneficial measures to cut greenhouse gases», Hochuli explains.
