New Zealand-based accounting solutions provider Xero has partnered with Sumday to offer carbon accounting tools, aiding small businesses in climate reporting.
The collaboration aims to simplify carbon footprint tracking and reporting for small businesses, helping them comply with increasing demands from larger corporations and government entities for transparent emissions data.
Xero GM of sustainability and impact Tamara Somers said: “We know small businesses have a lot on their plate, and tackling emissions reporting can seem overwhelming at first, but rather than seeing it as a burden, we encourage small businesses to see it as an opportunity to discover new efficiencies and appeal to environmentally conscious customers.
“It could be the difference between winning or losing a contract. Our partnership with Sumday puts powerful tools in the hands of small businesses so they feel prepared and able to drive towards a more sustainable future.”
Sumday CEO and co-founder Jessica Richmond said: “By making carbon accounting as routine and accessible as financial accounting, we’re empowering small businesses to account for their impact beyond dollars and cents. Having been a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges these businesses face in making time to get across a new area.
“Our tools are making it easy for small businesses to understand their impact at a high level, before going deeper and helping improve the quality of their carbon accounting. Sometimes small businesses just need help and we have always believed that accountants would play a key role in that. Through this partnership with Xero, we’re putting powerful carbon accounting tools in the hands of those who understand the business and want to deliver auditable accounting that generates meaningful insights as well.”
Through the alliance, Xero customers gain 12 months of free access to Sumday’s carbon accounting tools.
It is expected to enable small businesses to understand their environmental impact and take steps towards sustainability.
The integration allows financial data from Xero to be directly linked into Sumday, streamlining the carbon accounting process.
Additionally, Xero customers gain access to Sumday’s online academy to enhance their carbon accounting skills.
They can create profiles to communicate sustainability data efficiently and utilise supply chain engagement tools to share emissions data with larger clients and request information from their suppliers.
This support aids compliance with expanding mandatory emissions reporting requirements.
Furthermore, accountants and bookkeepers benefit from additional resources and support, enabling them to offer comprehensive carbon accounting services to their clients.
Xero hopes that this partnership will reduce the administrative burden on small businesses, allowing them to focus on serving their customers.
In September 2024, Xero agreed to acquire Syft Analytics, a South African company specialising in data analytics and business intelligence solutions.
