What CoolClimate Network does

CoolClimate Network is a University-Government-Business-NGO partnership hosted at the University of California, Berkeley, operating as a non-profit academic research initiative focused on carbon footprint benchmarking and climate action planning. The organization develops a suite of interconnected web-based calculators and tools — including a Household Calculator, an updated Business Calculator, the legacy Small Business Calculator, CoolClimate Maps of USA, California Planning Scenarios, an SF Bay Area GHG Inventory, and a CoolClimate API — that enable individuals, small businesses, municipalities, and universities to measure emissions and identify reduction opportunities relative to peer groups. These tools are grounded in published consumption-based GHG inventory research covering 700+ California cities and the San Francisco Bay Area, combined with behavioral science insights to drive user engagement.

The organization serves four primary user segments: individual households, small businesses, California cities and counties, and University of California campuses, plus a secondary audience of California residents engaged through statewide programs. Its core technology is rooted in standardized GHG accounting methodologies rather than AI/ML, and the platform architecture is a web-based self-service delivery model with free end-user access. Revenue is generated entirely through research grants and institutional partnerships rather than commercial pricing; the only disclosed funding event is a $1.4M California state grant received in August 2023 for Climate Action Planning Tools, with Apple joining as a Premium Partner in August 2021. Community engagement is driven through programs including the CoolCalifornia City Challenge, Cool Campus Challenge, CoolCalifornia.org, and the annual Behavior, Energy and Climate Change (BECC) Conference.

With approximately 10 employees, CoolClimate operates as a small academic research team rather than a scaled commercial enterprise. Its go-to-market is product-led through free online tools, supplemented by community-led engagement programs and channel partnerships with government agencies, universities, NGOs, and corporate sponsors. The organization's value proposition rests on academic rigor and behavioral-science-informed program design rather than commercial differentiation, and it is not structured for venture-backed growth.

Name

CoolClimate Network

Legal name

CoolClimate Network

Website

https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CoolClimate Network is a non-profit UC Berkeley research partnership that develops free carbon footprint calculators and climate action planning tools for households, small businesses, California municipalities, and University of California campuses, funded by grants and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Management Software

akta.pro primary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Benchmarking, Ratings & Stakeholder Reporting Portals (Scorecards, Dashboards) (EUABAEAJ), Climate Target-Setting, Transition Planning & Performance Management Platforms (EUABAEAF)

Keywords

• Carbon footprint calculators
• Climate action planning
• Greenhouse gas inventories
• Sustainability research tools
• Emissions benchmarking

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Primary funding comes from research grants including a $1.4M grant to develop Climate Action Planning Tools for California cities and counties. CoolClimate operates as a University of California, Berkeley affiliated research initiative.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CoolClimate Network develops online carbon footprint benchmarking calculators, greenhouse gas inventory tools, and climate action planning platforms hosted at UC Berkeley. It also publishes consumption-based emissions research and runs engagement programs that help households, businesses, and municipalities measure and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The offerings are delivered primarily as free web-based calculators, mapping tools, planning scenarios, and a developer API.

Product overview

CoolClimate Network is a University-Government-Business-NGO partnership at UC Berkeley offering a suite of interconnected carbon footprint and climate action tools. The portfolio centers on calculator products (Household Calculator, Business Calculator new/old, Small Business Calculator, Green Home Calculator) that enable individuals and organizations to measure their carbon emissions. Supporting these are visualization and planning tools including CoolClimate Maps of USA, California Planning Scenarios, and SF Bay Area GHG Inventory. The ecosystem is complemented by engagement programs (CoolCalifornia City Challenge, Cool Campus Challenge, CoolCalifornia.org) and community-building through the BECC Conference. The CoolClimate API enables third-party access to calculation capabilities. The organization combines carbon footprint benchmarking research with behavioral science insights to deliver tailored climate solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CoolCalifornia City Challenge: A state-wide competition to name the Coolest California City
• Cool Campus Challenge
• CoolCalifornia.org
• BECC Conference
• CoolClimate Calculator
• Business Calculator

Products and services

• Household Calculator An online tool that allows users to compare their household's carbon footprint to similar households, providing personalized insights on emissions sources.
• Business Calculator An updated carbon footprint calculator designed for organizations and businesses to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions.
• CoolClimate Maps of USA Interactive mapping tool showing carbon footprint comparisons across neighborhoods and regions throughout the United States.
• California Planning Scenarios Climate action planning scenarios tool for California jurisdictions to model and evaluate different mitigation strategies.
• SF Bay Area GHG Inventory Greenhouse gas inventory tool specifically designed for measuring the carbon footprint of neighborhoods, cities, and counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• CoolClimate API Developer API providing access to CoolClimate's carbon footprint calculation capabilities and climate data for integration into external applications.
• Green Home Calculator A calculator offered in partnership with GreenPoint Rated that measures energy, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions for homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700+ California cities analyzed for carbon footprint planning opportunities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered premium and core.

• ApplepremiumStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Apple joined as a Premium Partner in August 2021, providing support for CoolClimate's climate action tools and programs. As a Premium Partner, Apple contributes to the organization's mission of scaling adoption of climate solutions through funding and potentially technological collaboration.
• University of California, BerkeleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoolClimate Network is housed at UC Berkeley as a University-Government-Business-NGO Partnership. UC Berkeley provides academic infrastructure, research credibility, and institutional support for the organization's climate tools and programs.
• State of California / California Environmental AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoolClimate operates programs in partnership with California state agencies, including CoolCalifornia.org and the CoolCalifornia City Challenge, engaging state residents and municipalities in climate action.
• CoolClimate Consortium MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CoolClimate Membership consortium includes partners who work with the organization to design policies and programs that meet local needs and motivate populations to take climate action.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Sustainability Manager: Cloud-based sustainability and carbon accounting solution from a major hyperscaler, competing for the same enterprise GHG measurement and disclosure demand that CoolClimate methodologies could inform.
• Salesforce Net Zero Cloud: Enterprise SaaS incumbent offering carbon accounting and sustainability management as part of the broader Salesforce CRM platform. Competes in the same corporate/organizational carbon footprint measurement space but does not target households or municipal-level behavioral programs.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global disclosure system used by cities and companies to report environmental impact; overlaps with CoolClimate's benchmarking/dashboards and city-level GHG inventory focus, but operates as a broader reporting platform and rating agency rather than a tool provider.

Direct peers

• Persefoni: Climate management and accounting platform providing carbon footprinting for enterprises and financial institutions. Overlaps with CoolClimate's Business Calculator and GHG Inventory methodology on the corporate/organizational carbon measurement use case.
• Watershed: Enterprise carbon accounting and reporting platform serving corporates with GHG measurement and disclosure tools—comparable as a carbon footprinting and reporting platform targeting organizations and businesses, though Watershed is commercial and audit-ready while CoolClimate remains a non-profit research project.
• Greenly: Carbon accounting platform specifically focused on small and mid-sized businesses, offering footprint measurement and reduction planning—closely comparable to CoolClimate's Small Business Calculator and Business Calculator.
• Sweep: Sustainability management platform for businesses covering carbon accounting, ESG reporting, and reduction planning—comparable on the small/mid-business carbon footprint and climate action planning use case that CoolClimate's Business Calculator targets.
• ICLEI USA: Local-government sustainability network providing climate action planning tools and GHG inventory support to U.S. cities—comparable to CoolClimate's California Planning Scenarios and City Challenge, with similar municipal customer segment.

Others

• Carbon Literacy Project: Climate education and behavior-change non-profit that pairs climate literacy training with action—comparable to CoolClimate's behavioral-science-driven Cool Campus Challenge and CoolCalifornia programs on the demand-side activation mission.

Emerging players

• Climate Neutral: Non-profit certifier for consumer brands measuring and reducing carbon footprints. Comparable on the small-business sustainability engagement mission and footprint-measurement methodology that CoolClimate offers via its Business Calculator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coolclimatenw
• Facebookfacebook.com/keywords_top
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coolclimate-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/coolcalifornia
• Pinterestpinterest.com/coolcalif

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CoolClimate Network