The GHG Protocol creates standards and tools that are applicable to any organization, company, and sector. In response to user needs, the GHG Protocol also develops additional guidance that builds upon the more general standards. However, other groups and organizations are also developing their own guidance to support GHG Protocol standards.
The guidance documents below were developed in close collaboration with the GHG Protocol and have been reviewed to ensure that they are in conformance with GHG Protocol standards. They have earned the "Built on GHG Protocol" mark, which recognizes accounting resources that have been developed in conformance with a GHG Protocol standard.
Learn more about the Built on GHG Protocol mark, and explore tools that have been reviewed for Built on GHG Protocol conformance.
The Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) developed the Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard for the Financial Industry as a response to industry demand for a global, standardized approach to measure and report financed emissions. Written by a diverse, global team of financial institutions for financial institutions, the Standard combines deep industry insight with the rigor of the GHG Protocol, the supplier of the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards. The Standard has been reviewed by the GHG Protocol and is in conformance with the requirements set forth in the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard, for Category 15 investment activities.
The Standard provides detailed methodological guidance for measurement and disclosure of GHG emissions associated with six asset classes: listed equity & corporate bonds, business loans & unlisted equity, project finance, commercial real estate, mortgages and motor vehicle loans. Future editions of the Standard will expand this coverage of asset classes by building on and improving its existing methodologies, which are tested globally by financial institutions of all sizes.
Using this Standard equips financial institutions with harmonized, robust methods to measure financed emissions, a metric that enables them to:
• Assess climate-related risks in line with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
• Set science-based targets (SBTs) using the sectoral decarbonization approach developed by the Science Based Targets initiative.
• Report to stakeholders like the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
• Inform climate strategies and actions to develop innovative financial products that support the transition toward a net-zero emissions economy.
The following guidance documents have been recognized as being in confirmance with GHG Protocol standards with the "Built on GHG Protocol" mark.
Authoring Organization: United States Agency for International Development (USAID), ICF International
Description: Guidelines for quantifying GHG emission reductions from clean energy activities conducted under the USAID Global Climate Change Initiative. The CLEER Protocol provides an overview of GHG accounting principles and practices as well as standardized GHG estimation methodologies for common clean energy activities that have GHG reduction benefits.
Date Published: May 2016
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Policy and Action Standard
Authoring Organization: European Network of Construction Companies for Research and Development (ENCORD)
Description: This measurement protocol was developed by ENCORD to provide guidance on how an organization within the construction sector can measure and report its greenhouse gas emissions.
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Standard
Authoring Organization: International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG)
Description: The purpose of this document is to provide voluntary supplemental guidance for accounting and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the aerospace industry to encourage voluntary reporting of corporate GHG emissions by aerospace companies.
Date Published: July 2016
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Standard
Authoring Organization: Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC)
Description: Shippers, carriers and logistics service providers can use the GLEC Framework to report emissions from logistics operations, giving companies with smaller footprints a competitive advantage.
Date Published: June 2016 (Updated July 2019)
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Standard
Authoring Organization: United Kingdom National Health Service Sustainable Development Unit
Description: This document enables consistent quantification of the greenhouse gas inventory of pharmaceutical products and medical devices.
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Product Life Cycle Standard
Authoring Organization: Carbon Trust, Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI)
Description: Guidance for the calculation of life-cycle GHG emissions for ICT (Information and Communication Technology) products with a focus on ICT services. Separate chapters cover: Introduction and general principles, Telecommunications Network Services, Desktop Managed Services, Cloud and Data Center Services, Hardware, and Software.
Date Published: July 2017
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Product Life Cycle Standard
Authoring Organization: University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Description: This document enables the quantification and reporting of the environmental impacts associated with the production of concrete from cradle-to-gate. This PCR was developed specifically for use in North America.
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Product Life Cycle Standard
Title: Scope 1 & 2 GHG Inventory Guidance for U.S. Dairy Cooperatives and Processors
Authoring Organization: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Description: This document is intended for use by dairy processors and dairy cooperatives that process dairy products in the United States. The guidance enables companies to compile a robust and comprehensive scope 1 & 2 GHG inventory to measure and report progress against internal (if applicable) and industry GHG reduction goals.
Date Published: November 2019
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
Title: Scope 3 GHG Inventory Guidance for U.S. Dairy Cooperatives and Processors
Authoring Organization: Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Description: This document is intended for use by dairy processors and dairy cooperatives that process dairy products in the United States. The guidance enables companies to compose a robust and comprehensive scope 3 GHG inventory to measure and report progress against internal (if applicable) and industry GHG reduction goals.
Date Published: November 2019
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard
Authoring Organization: Entreprises pour l’Environnement (EpE)
Description: This document is intended to provide a credible approach to quantify, report and verify greenhouse gases (GHG) direct & indirect emissions of waste management actors.The purpose of this Waste Sector Protocol is to establish best practice across the waste sector for the implementation of a coherent and homogeneous annual GHG emissions reporting.
Corresponding GHG Protocol Standard: Corporate Standard