GHG Protocol develops global, standardized frameworks for reporting and managing emissions. It works with governments, industry associations, NGOs, and businesses to build useful standards that make it easier for entities to lower their climate impacts.
These include the Corporate Standard (related to preparing a GHG inventory), the Value Chain Standard, and the Product Standard. The City Standard and Mitigation Goal Standard provide standardized guidelines for a country or city’s national GHG reduction targets.
GHG (greenhouse gases) are chemicals that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. Human activities produce them in large quantities through energy use, transportation and waste management. These gases must be reduced in order to avoid critical climate change impacts.
The GHG Protocol offers accounting and reporting standards, sector guidance, calculation tools, training and certifications for companies, cities and countries. It is the world’s most widely used standard for measuring and reporting GHG emissions.
The Corporate Standard helps to develop a company’s GHG inventory and focuses on the emission sources they control. Including Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the GHG Protocol allows companies to understand their full value chain and identify potential reduction opportunities. The Project Accounting Standard provides a rigorous method for quantifying the carbon benefits of projects and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions learn more here.
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How does the GHG Protocol work?
The GHGP develops standards, tools and training to help companies, governments and cities create effective carbon management strategies. The Corporate Standard is the most widely used by businesses, while other resources like the Potential Emissions from Fossil Fuel Reserves guidance and Agricultural Guidance are created for specific industries. The GHGP also has protocols for projects, cities and countries to help them measure their progress toward their climate goals.
The framework is global and standardized, but it is also tailored to meet the reporting needs of different stakeholders — investors, customers, regulators, NGOs and others. It helps organizations differentiate between Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct emissions from onsite fuel combustion, company vehicles) and Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions from the supply chain). It also allows them to set science-based targets that are meaningful for their stakeholders.
What is the value of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to companies?
Whether you’re a company, city or government organisation, GHG Protocol standards help you understand and manage your emissions more effectively. It helps you meet the reporting requirements of stakeholders like investors, regulators, NGOs and customers and improve transparency with public reporting.
Using a GHG inventory can also help you identify and prioritize carbon reduction opportunities. Rio’s intelligent sustainability software automatically sorts emissions into Scopes 1, 2, and 3 based on the GHG Protocol guidelines, so you can concentrate your efforts on the most important emission sources for your business.
The GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and the GHG Protocol Product Standard provide a global, standardized framework for accounting and reporting GHG emissions. Both take a life cycle or value chain approach to carbon accounting, and together with the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard, cover the full scope of your GHG emissions.
What are the scopes of the GHG Protocol?
The GHG Protocol offers standards, calculation tools and training for companies, organizations and countries. It is used for reporting, managing and tracking emissions. It can help businesses compete in the marketplace, and governments and cities make informed climate change policy decisions. GHG emissions are classified into three scopes based on how much control an organisation has over the emission source. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from fuel combustion on-site; scope 2 is the purchase of electricity consumed by a company; and scope 3 is indirect emissions not covered by scopes 1 or 2.
For example, business travel (scope 3), office supplies (scope 4) and purchased capital goods (scope 3) are all considered scope 3. The aim is to produce global standardized frameworks for measuring and reporting emissions.
What are the differences between GHG Protocol Standards and other standards?
There are a few different GHG Protocol Standards. These are used by governments, cities, companies and other entities to translate their activities into quantifiable inventories of CO2 and other emissions. Each has a couple of considerations about how they set up their inventory boundaries and what kind of emissions they include or exclude.
For example; the GHG Protocol Corporate standard provides a standardized methodology for companies to quantify and report their corporate GHG emissions. It is a good place to start for businesses who want to measure their own GHG emissions.
The GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle standard enables companies to understand their full value chain emissions and focus reduction efforts on the most impactful sources of emissions. Finally, the GHG Protocol Project standard is a policy neutral accounting tool that enables companies to quantify the benefits of their climate change mitigation projects.
What is Greenly?
Greenly offers a software-as-a-service platform that helps SMEs measure, reduce, and offset their carbon footprint at an affordable price. It automates data collection and carbon analysis by integrating with dozens of applications, including accounting software, travel management, cloud computing, electricity vendors, and more. It then converts these activities into emissions measurements using a database of more than 100,000 emission factors, and generates a carbon report following global standards like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
The platform analyzes the impact of every expense a person makes, from flights to powering a home, and puts it all in a dashboard to show them where they can focus on cutting their carbon footprint — and rewards them for taking action. In its first year, the company has already helped 2.5 million people in France understand their impact and take action.
With a mission to help everyone become carbon neutral, Greenly has built an ecosystem of partners that include airlines, energy providers, and hotels. The company is also building a solution for banks that lets them offer their retail customers a way to track and reduce their own personal carbon footprint.
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The Go-To Carbon Accounting Platform for Your Business
The right software solution can support you in addressing three major challenges: data collection, analysis, and sustainability reporting. It should also be able to help you incorporate strategic climate planning into your business decision-making and thereby boost your bottom line click here to know more about Go-To Carbon Accounting Platform.
Streamlined emissions control and sustainability reporting are the top criteria for any carbon accounting tool. Look for a robust GHG inventory management system that uses a standardized, automated, and consistent methodology, such as the GHG Protocol. Additionally, the best solutions provide granular breakdowns of key environmental indicators, including emission hotspot categories, high impact vendors and single transactions. These insights can help you make informed decisions that balance unavoidable emissions and move closer to your net zero goal.
Consider a software solution that simplifies the entire reporting and data collection process while still providing you with deep emissions analysis. Emitwise, for example, offers a powerful GHG accounting software that is certified by CDP and GRESB, and features 70,000 up-to-date globally published emissions factors. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to set KPIs, identify red flags, and automate your reporting.
Another great option is Watershed, a carbon management software that is powered by renowned climate experts and leverages industry-leading models to measure your footprint. It then goes beyond the measurement by empowering you with a tailored, net zero-ready climate action plan that can be implemented within your business. Moreover, the platform helps you manage your carbon budget and provides you with the tools you need to stay on track.
