The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard — usually shortened to the GHG Protocol — is the most widely used international framework for measuring and reporting corporate greenhouse gas emissions. It was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and is the methodological foundation for almost every major sustainability disclosure regime in use today.
It defines how companies should set organisational and operational boundaries, classify emissions into Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3, account for emissions over time, and report results consistently.
Why it matters
If you intend to publish a carbon footprint, respond to a tender that asks for one, or comply with regulation such as PPN 006 or SECR, alignment with the GHG Protocol is effectively mandatory. It is the standard that auditors, procurement bodies, customers, and investors expect to see referenced.
Two related standards extend it. The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard covers indirect emissions across the supply chain. The Scope 2 Guidance defines location-based and market-based reporting for purchased electricity.
A practical example
A UK manufacturer responding to an NHS supplier questionnaire is asked for its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. By following the GHG Protocol, it knows that diesel burned in its forklifts is Scope 1, the electricity powering its factory is Scope 2, and emissions from the steel it purchases are Scope 3 Category 1. Without that shared framework, every supplier would classify the same emissions differently and the answers would be incomparable.
Every Carbon Stamp engagement is delivered to GHG Protocol standards. See exactly how we apply it on the methodology page.