WASHINGTON DC (September 19, 2024) – GHG Protocol is pleased to announce the membership of its new Steering Committee (SC) and Independent Standards Board (ISB).

The SC will be the primary governing body of GHG Protocol, providing strategic guidance on the overarching goals and direction of GHG Protocol and ensuring proper adherence to standard development and revision procedures. The Steering Committee Terms of Reference can be found here.  

Eight new members are joining SC Chair Geraldine Matchett and Vice-Chair Ovais Sarmad who were announced earlier this year: Wataru Baba, Yamide Dagnet, Craig Hanson, Richard Manley, Julia Maris, Katie McGinty, Dominic Waughray and Yongping Zhai.

In turn, the ISB has the mandate to review and approve GHG Protocol standards, guidance, and other normative documentation. The Independent Standards Board Terms of Reference can be found here.  

ISB Chair Alexander Bassen is being joined by: Inhee Chung, Danny Cullenward, Suzanne Greene, Owen Hewlett and Heather Keith, with additional members to be announced shortly.

All members of the SC and ISB are joining in their personal capacity. GHG Protocol received an overwhelming number of applications and thanks all those who expressed their interest.  

Further details on the membership of GHG Protocol’s Technical Working Groups (TWGs) are also forthcoming.

With the constitution of the SC, ISB and upcoming TWGs, GHG Protocol is taking critical steps towards strengthened governance, ensuring transparency and accountability for its stakeholders. All relevant governance documentation as well as biographies for the new SC and ISB members can be found on GHG Protocol’s governance webpage.

The establishment of the SC and ISB was first announced in November 2023 as part of GHG Protocol’s strategy to strengthen its governance model and fulfill the needs of a rapidly changing GHG accounting and reporting landscape. These new bodies will ensure continued integrity and trust in GHG Protocol’s work. As voluntary and regulatory programs continue to integrate GHG Protocol’s standards and guidance, the Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board will play a critical role in supporting the delivery of the mission of the GHG Protocol. More information about GHG Protocol’s governance structure and process can be found here.

“This is a tremendous milestone for GHG Protocol, which is already an essential, go-to for businesses, cities and countries looking to measure their emissions and progress toward climate goals,” said Peter Bakker, President & CEO of World Business Council for Sustainable Development. “As GHG Protocol seeks to ramp up its support for users to reach the next level of impact, the members of the Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board—all leaders in their respective fields—are leveraging their unique expertise to ensure greater transparency and accountability in global emissions accounting.”

“Ever since we launched GHG Protocol over two decades ago, it has always been supported by a robust multi-stakeholder governance process and this strengthens it even further,” said Ani Dasgupta, President & CEO of World Resources Institute. “Our standards process is built upon healthy dialogue across sectors, often with divergent views, which is necessary to create guidelines for corporate climate action that are both grounded in science and feasible to implement. With the GHG accounting and reporting landscape rapidly growing and changing, we are delighted to be joined by leaders from across the ecosystem, evolving the governance process and ensuring a diverse representation of voices continue to be brought to the table.”

“We will benefit greatly from the diverse perspectives and deep expertise that the Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board members bring to the table,” said GHG Protocol’s Steering Committee Chair Geraldine Matchett. “It is an honor to collaborate with such an impressive group.”  

“I am excited to advance GHG Protocol’s mission, vision and strategy together with my fellow Steering Committee members and am dedicated to ensuring GHG Protocol meets the needs of users through a commitment to science, ease of implementation and good governance,” said Steering Committee Vice-Chair Ovais Sarmad.

Alexander Bassen, Chair of the GHG Protocol Independent Standards Board, said, “It is my great pleasure to welcome the new members of the inaugural Independent Standards Board. Our first milestone together will be the historic update of GHG Protocol’s corporate suite of standards and with such a strong group of leaders, we are well positioned to deliver.”  

The SC and ISB will convene in the coming weeks. A first priority for the SC will be to ensure the GHG Protocol continues to leverage its core strengths in the rapidly changing carbon accounting landscape, while the ISB will support the standards revision process which is about to commence.

###

Media Requests:  
Sarah Huckins, Communications Manager, Greenhouse Gas Protocol  
sarah.huckins@wri.org