GHG Protocol · Climate Dictionary

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is a comprehensive and widely accepted standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It was established in 1990 by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in response to the growing need for a consistent framework for greenhouse gas reporting. The GHG Protocol provides guidelines for businesses, governments, and other organizations to track, report, and mitigate their emissions, aligning with the Paris Agreement and other climate change initiatives.

Scopes

The Protocol categorizes emissions into three scopes:

Scope 1: Direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization, such as company vehicles, on-site fuel combustion, and fugitive emissions.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the organization.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions that occur in the organization's value chain, including upstream and downstream activities like business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, and the use of sold products and services.

Standards

Corporate Standard: For corporate-level GHG emissions inventory.
GHG Protocol for Cities: For urban areas to measure and manage emissions.
Mitigation Goal Standard: For countries and cities to set emission reduction targets.
Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard: For companies to track emissions across their supply chain.
Policy and Action Standard: For governments and cities to develop policies and strategies for emission reduction.
Product Standard: For companies to understand the full life cycle of their products and allocate efforts towards the greatest GHG reduction opportunities

Importance of the GHG Protocol

Identify and prioritize emission reduction opportunities.
Benchmark their performance against industry peers and track progress over time.
Enhance transparency and accountability in their sustainability efforts.
Comply with regulatory requirements and voluntary reporting programs.
Contribute to global efforts in addressing climate change by accurately measuring and managing their emissions.

References

Overview of Greenhouse Gases Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases. This section provides information on emissions and removals of the main greenhouse gases to and from the atmosphere.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol The global standard for companies and organizations to measure and manage their GHG emissions and become more efficient, resilient and prosperous.
greenhouse gas Greenhouse gas, any gas that has the property of absorbing infrared radiation (net heat energy) emitted from Earth’s surface and reradiating it back to Earth’s surface, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour are the most important gr…