Carbon Accounting for Small Business with Sumday & Xero
What is Carbon Accounting?
Ever heard of carbon accounting? It’s like a climate report card for businesses. Basically, it tracks all the greenhouse gas emissions (aka CO₂e) a company produces, both directly and indirectly.
Scope 1 = is the emissions from stuff you own (like company cars)
Scope 2 = emissions from the energy you buy like electricity in the office
Scope 3 = everything else (like shipping, travel, suppliers)
It’s all about knowing your impact so you can reduce it.
Do I Need Carbon Accounting for My Small Business?
If you’ve ever thought, “Carbon accounting? Isn’t that just for big corporations with sustainability departments and boardrooms full of ESG reports?” well, you’re not alone. But times are changing. Fast.
Small businesses are the beating heart of the economy — and increasingly, they're being pulled into the sustainability spotlight. Whether you’re a café, creative agency, retailer, or tradie — carbon accounting can help you stay compliant, save money, and win bigger contracts.
Let’s break it down:
🌍 Regulatory Risk? Handled.
Governments are tightening the rules on carbon emissions. From plastic bans to reporting requirements, the heat is ON. If your goal is to grow like crazy and become a listed company - you've already got this handled.
🌍 Energy & Cost Savings
When you start carbon accounting (aka measuring your footprint), you’ll spot where energy's being wasted — and where you’re literally burning money.
But here’s the kicker:
Some governments pay you to cut back. We’re talking tax breaks, rebates, and sustainability grants — all for showing you’re reducing emissions.
🌍 Future Proofing & Supply Chain
If you're a small biz working with big players — listed companies, corporates, or gov contracts — here’s a heads-up:
They might ask for your carbon report.
Why? Because Scope 3 emissions = the emissions of their suppliers (👋 that’s you).
If you’re carbon-intensive and not measuring your footprint?
You might get cut from the supply chain. Not personal — just compliance.
Kickstart Your Carbon Accounting Journey with Xero + Sumday
As the pressure mounts for organisations of all sizes to understand and reduce their environmental impact, carbon accounting is becoming just as important as financial accounting. But until now, the process has often been manual, complex, and time-consuming — especially for small businesses with limited resources.
That’s why the integration between Xero and Sumday is a game-changer, here’s what you can expect:
Simple setup: Connect your Xero account to Sumday in just a few clicks.
Automatic data sync: Your ledger data flows directly into Sumday — saving hours of manual entry.
Instant emissions reports: Get immediate visibility into your carbon footprint, based on your actual financial activity.
Built-in education: Learn the basics (and beyond) through Sumday Academy, designed to build your carbon literacy as you go.
Smart insights: Use Sumd[AI], Sumday’s built-in AI assistant, to help you write reports, analyse data, and discover trends.
Start for Free — for 12 Months
To make this even more accessible, Sumday is offering 12 months free for new users who sign up via the Xero App Store by April 1, 2026.
That’s a full year to explore carbon accounting with zero upfront cost — perfect for small businesses looking to trial their sustainability strategy, or for accountants wanting to add ESG insights to their services.
If you’re a Bramble and Briar client and you’d like to look at setting up a Sumday account conctact us here: