How to set up Carbon Accounting

To start using Accounting for Carbon Emissions functionality, you will need to set the following:

Switch on the feature and select your method of analysis.
Set the appropriate security options in your User Profiles.
Set the start date on the Conversion Tables.
Flag the Nominal Accounts that require the entry of Carbon information.
And, optionally, set a Carbon Budget

These items are explained in more detail below and in the linked topics.

System Options

The Accounting for Carbon Emissions option is found in System Control [Transactions tab].

Select the Enable Accounting for Carbon option to use the Accounting for Carbon Emissions feature. After selecting the option, all the Carbon related options will be available.

If you are using Categories in your Nominal Ledger, you are able to select any of the two category codes for carbon analysis

You also have the following option:

Calculate year and period from You can select to calculate the Nominal Ledger year and period, into which the Carbon transactions will be posted, from the Consumption date or from the Invoice date.

The Consumption date is a field on the Carbon transaction entry window and can be used to post the transaction according to the date of consumption rather that the date of purchase.

If the option is set to Consumption Date:

The consumption date will default to the date from the source transaction. This date can be changed. The year and period will be the Nominal Ledger year and period that match the consumption date.

If the option is set to Invoice Date:

For Purchase Ledger and Nominal Ledger:

The date on the carbon transaction defaults to the source transaction date. This can be changed.
The year and period will be the Nominal Ledger Year/Period that will be updated.
Changing the consumption date will not change the year and period.

For Purchase Order Processing:

The date on the carbon transaction defaults to the system date: this can be changed.
The year and period are disabled.
The date of the Purchase Order invoice (when posted) will define which Nominal Ledger Year/Period will be updated.

For Independent Carbon transactions and when adding a Carbon transaction via an Enquiries window:

The transaction date will be the system date and the year and period will be the Nominal Ledger Year/Period that will be updated.
The User can select any Year/Period - there are no restrictions on future period posting. Future period posting privileges (or lack of) are not enforced.

Security Profile settings

The User Security Profiles, related to Carbon recording, are accessed from Nominal Ledger security profiles section in Security Profile menu. There are separate security levels for Carbon Conversions, Carbon Budgets and Carbon Transactions.

Option	Security Levels
Carbon Conversion	Insert
	Edit
	Duplicate
Carbon Budgets	Edit
	Duplicate
	Duplicate whole year
	Delete
Carbon Transactions	Enabled/ Disabled

You can use this hierarchy to create various levels for different Users. For example, a User can be set to only enter Carbon Transactions but cannot enter or update Carbon Budgets.

Carbon Conversion tables

The tables containing the Conversion records for various Emission Groups are already available in your system. The Conversion Tables will take their Effective from dates from the date when you upgrade to this release version. You should change these dates if you wish to enter Carbon usage information for any earlier dates.

Editing the Nominal Ledger Accounts

Switching the feature on in your System Options, adds the Account for Carbon option to every Nominal Ledger record.

Now you should review all your existing Nominal Ledger accounts and tick the option for those accounts that are to be used for Carbon recording.

Select Accounts to display the Accounts list.
Locate the record that you want to flag as Account for Carbon
Press Edit and tick the option.
Select the Carbon Classification appropriate to the account.
Save the record.

To select a Carbon Classification:

Open the Carbon Usage Category list by clicking on the pop up icon.

Double click on the Classification you require.

When selecting a Carbon Classification, you can either:

select just an Emission Group, suitable if the account is used for recording different classifications or
a specific Classification within an Emission Group.

When entering a Carbon Transaction you will be able re-select the Carbon Classification.