| Following
is a list of freeware that provides information on sustainability and sustainable development. To
learn more about a particular item, click on the item name. To
download a software product or visit an interactive web site,
click on "download" or "view," respectively.
But first, please read our disclaimer and
permissions page if you haven't already done so.
BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)
By National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Building and Fire Research Laboratory. Software for balancing the environmental and economic performance of building products. BEES measures the environmental performance of building products by using the environmental life-cycle assessment approach in ISO 14000 standards.
visit
Carbon Footprint Calculator
By Carbon Footprint Ltd. Calculates your carbon footprint for your home and transportation. A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. Also includes ways to purchase carbon offsets.
visit
Community Sustainability Assessment
By Global Eco-village Network. Helps communities assess their ecological, social and spiritual accomplishments and chart directions toward ever increasing sustainability.
visit
Dashboard of Sustainability
By Consultative Group on Sustainable Development Indicators. A software package that illustrates the complex relationships among economic, social and environmental issues. The visual format is suitable for decision-makers and others interested in sustainable development. This edition promotes the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) indicators—especially for developing countries. These indicators help define Poverty Reduction Strategies and monitor the achievement of the MDGs.
download
Earth
By The Global Education Project. Earth is a graphic look at the state of the world. This online resource presents data and commentaries on the condition of the world's environment - both natural and human - using 15 maps and 99 charts and graphs to create one big picture.
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EarthTrends:The Environmental Information Portal
By World Resources Institute. An online collection of information regarding the environmental, social, and economic trends that shape our world. EarthTrends offers the public a large breadth of statistical, graphic, and analytical data in easily accessible formats.
visit
EarthWatch
By United Nations. Provides information for decision-making on environment and development as the basis for achieving sustainable development.
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Eco Index
By The Outdoor Industry Association & European Outdoor Group. The Eco Index is an environmental assessment tool designed to advance sustainability practices within the outdoor industry. It provides companies throughout the supply chain a way to benchmark and measure their environmental footprint, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and make informed sourcing and product life cycle decisions.
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Ecological Footprint
By Redefining Progress. Calculate a rough estimate of your ecological footprint. The ecological footprint measures what we consume of nature. It shows how much productive land and water we occupy to produce all the resources we consume and to take in all the waste we make.
visit
EKAT - Environmental Knowledge and Assessment Tool
By M2 Technologies Inc, Kansas State University (KSU) and CABEM Technologies LLC. EKAT is an automated tool to identify, research, and evaluate environmental and safety-related issues for products and systems. [Registration required.]
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Electricity and Environment Database
By Commission for Environmental Cooperation. Provides information relating to the "Environmental Challenges and Opportunities of the Evolving Continental Electricity Market" and the green goods and services certification project. The database is searchable by keyword or text, and contains information on government and non-government initiatives from Canada, Mexico and the United States.
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Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC)
By Center for Clean Products at The University of Tennessee. The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) is intended to assist institutional purchasers, including Federal Electronic Challenge (FEC) program participants, in quantifying the benefits of environmentally sound management of electronic equipment. The Calculator estimates the environmental and economic benefits of purchasing EPEAT-registered products, in addition to improvements in equipment operation and end-of-life management practices. Currently this tool is designed to evaluate EPEAT-registered desktop (with a CRT or LCD) and notebook computers.
download
EMAS Tool Kit for Small Organisations
By International Network for Environmental Management. Step-by-step guidance on implementing an environmental management system (according to ISO 14001) that meets the requirements of the Community Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and getting your site registered under the scheme.
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Enviornmental Valuation Reference Inventory (EVRI)
By Environment Canada. A searchable storehouse of empirical studies on the economic value of environmental benefits and human health effects. Residents of the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Canada are provided with free one-year, renewable subscriptions.
visit
Environmental Data Tables
By World Resources Institute. The following data tables present some of the information required to build a basic picture of the state of the Earth in its human, economic, and environmental dimensions.
download
GEF Project Database
By Global Environment Facility. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1991, helps developing countries fund projects and programs that protect the global environment. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Search projects by country, type, date, keyword, etc.
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Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines (G3)
By Global Reporting Initiative. This framework for sustainability reporting enables companies to prepare comparable reports on their economic, environmental, and social performance.
download
Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines: G3 Online
By Global Reporting Initiative. This online framework for sustainability reporting enables companies to prepare comparable reports on their economic, environmental, and social performance.
visit
iCarbonCalc
By PE International. CarbonCalc is an iPhone/iPod/iPad application that helps you to determine your contribution to global warming. Result diagrams and charts help you understand the composition of your carbon footprint and to identify potential carbon savings. You can also define target values to work towards.
download
InVEST
By The Natural Capital Project. InVEST is a family of tools to map and value the goods and services from nature which are essential for sustaining and fulfilling human life. It enables decision-makers to assess the tradeoffs associated with alternative choices and to identify areas where investment in natural capital can enhance human development and conservation in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
download
Paper Calculator
By Environmental Defense. Shows the environmental impacts of different papers across their full lifecycle.
visit
Purchasing Impact Estimator (PIE)
By Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Purchasing Impact Estimator (PIE) gives an assessment of the degree to which your organization's purchases are having an environmental impact.
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SD Planner
By Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI). A self-assessment tool designed to help companies evaluate, plan for and integrate sustainable development into business processes. The tool addresses all three aspects of sustainable development: environmental impact, economic development, and social equity as well as activities that can be undertaken toward achieving those goals. Use of this tool will assist companies in identifying the critical sustainable development issues that are important to business activities.
download
Search the EPA Internet
By US Environmental Protection Agency. Search the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) web site.
visit
Sustainable Tourism Resource Database
By Commission for Environmental Cooperation. A searchable database containing information on tourism services and facilities in North America that link tourism activities with the conservation of natural areas.
visit
U.S. Life-Cycle Inventory Database
By National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This database provides a cradle-to-grave accounting of the energy and material flows into and out of the environment that are associated with producing a material, component, or assembly. It's an online storeroom of data collected on commonly used materials, products, and processes.
visit
United Nations Sustainable Development
By United Nations. Provides social, economic, natural resource, and institutional information on countries worldwide.
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Water Sustainability Tool
By Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI). Assists individual companies and other organizations to better understand what emerging water issues might mean for them, given their operations, needs, and circumstances. The tool is designed to help individual companies build a business water strategy.
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