The GHG Protocol is the standard that is used globally to track and control emissions of greenhouse gases. It allows businesses, governments and other groups to learn about, measure and reduce their emissions.
What is GHG Protocol?
It is a result of a partnership between the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI). It defines common standards that are used everywhere.
• Emissions accounting and resultant reporting
• Goals for reducing emissions
• Creating plans for tackling climate change
Three Main Scopes of Emissions:
The protocol categorizes emissions into three scopes:
| Scope | Description | Examples |
| Scope 1 | Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources | Company vehicles, on-site fuel combustion |
| Scope 2 | Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling | Purchased electricity use |
| Scope 3 | All other indirect emissions in a company’s value chain | Business travel, supply chain, product use, waste disposal |
Key Standards Under the GHG Protocol:
- Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard – For companies to report their GHG emissions.
- Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard – For measuring emissions across the value chain.
- Product Life Cycle Standard – For emissions from a product’s full life cycle.
- Project Protocol – For quantifying emissions reductions from specific projects.
- Mitigation Goal Standard – For setting and tracking emissions reduction targets.
Why its important?
- It provides information on where emissions are highest in an organization.
- Offers assistance in adhering to regulations and sharing sustainable reports
- Supports setting SBTs which are based on scientific researches
- Encourages transparency and comparability
