In an effort to enhance transparent climate accounting, a project supported by the Industriens Fond is working to equip Danish Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with the knowledge and tools to produce valid European, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports and strategically develop their business in line with ESG principles. 

The project, which runs until January 31, 2027, is a collaborative effort involving Aarhus University, AU BSS, Center for SMEs, Center for Hybrid Intelligence, AU iClimate, Cabi, Gejst Studio, and 360 Sprint. Each of these entities is responsible for the ESG qualification and knowledge development for and with the participants. 

The project seeks to enhance the quality and availability of emissions factors data, expanding the dataset and validating its credibility to establish best practices for clear climate accounting evaluations. 

Key objectives of the project include increasing the availability of open-source emissions factors for precise product-level reporting, developing a comprehensive database of validated emissions factors, and establishing a trust factor framework to review the emission factors used for ESG reporting. 

Key features of the project include a database with 10,000 validated emissions factors and a multi-dimensional Trust Factor Framework to assess the credibility of these factors. Additionally, a generative AI-powered Virtual Assistant is provided to help participating enterprises efficiently query the database and receive suggestions. 

The impact of the project lies in enabling participants, particularly SMEs, to access reliable resources that improve the validity of their ESG reporting. This, in turn, influences broader industries by promoting the adoption of transparent methods in standard ESG accounting practices.