Greenhouse Gas Protocol

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is an internationally recognized accounting tool for government and business leaders to record, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions. It was developed through a partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and provides standards and guidelines for companies and organizations to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions.

The main components of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol are

Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions:
- Scope 1: Direct greenhouse gas emissions from owned or controlled sources.
- Scope 2: Indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company.
- Scope 3: All other indirect emissions generated in a company's value chain, including upstream and downstream emissions.
Corporate Standard: Provides guidelines for companies to consistently measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions in different sectors.
Project logs: Provides methods for quantifying greenhouse gas reductions from specific projects in different sectors.
Value Chain Standard: Focuses on Scope 3 emissions and helps organizations to assess and manage emissions throughout their value chain.

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is critical for organizations that want to set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global efforts to combat climate change.