Overview
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol continues to provide the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards and is evolving its governance to further bolster the credibility and integrity of these standards. The transformation comes as GHG Protocol seeks to recruit members for its new Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board that will oversee the update and maintenance of GHG Protocol’s flagship suite of standards for business (including the Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Guidance, and Scope 3 Standard).
Nominations for the Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is the primary governing body of the GHG Protocol with the mandate of providing strategic guidance on the goals and direction of the GHG Protocol, exclusively in the public interest, while recognizing the ongoing administrative and fiduciary roles and responsibilities of the GHG Protocol’s two co-hosts.
The responsibilities of the Steering Committee are as follows:
- Mission and Strategy: Review strategic issues concerning GHG accounting and reporting, including applications in the broader ecosystem; approve and advise on the GHG Protocol’s mission, vision, and strategy, and its Rules of Procedure; ensure ongoing integrity and impact of the GHG Protocol; advise on alignment and harmonization between GHG Protocol, key partners, and other initiatives in the climate solutions ecosystem.
- Oversight of the Independent Standards Board (ISB): Appoint ISB members, Chair, and Vice Chair; approve its remit, terms of reference, performance criteria, and decision-making criteria; advise on strategy; approve and ratify ISB decisions with regards to standard setting procedures and strategy.
- External ambassadors: Serve as GHG Protocol’s external ambassadors, raising awareness and facilitating the adoption and rigorous implementation of GHG Protocol standards through leveraging of their networks.
- Management: Advise the GHG Protocol co-hosts on changes to governance structure and if needed, on disputes of the co-hosts with regards to the GHG Protocol.
The Steering Committee is expected to meet two to four times per year, including one in-person meeting per year and the remainder virtual. Overall, Steering Committee members should expect to commit approximately 10 days per year, inclusive of preparatory time.
Steering Committee members will serve a term of three years, with option to serve two terms. Following the end of the first term, an assessment will be conducted that may lead to the renewal of term for a portion of the Steering Committee. All members will be subject to a conflict-of-interest policy.
Being a member of the GHG Protocol Steering Committee is a voluntary part-time position. Expenses for travel and the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred on GHG Protocol business will be paid by the GHG Protocol.
What We Are Looking For
The Steering Committee will consist of thirteen highly experienced and trusted leaders in the global climate solutions ecosystem. Members will serve in their individual capacities. The composition will reflect a diversity of experience and identities and balanced professional backgrounds from academia/science/research, civil society, regulatory/policy/standard setting bodies, and the corporate/financial/auditing/consulting world.
Candidate Requirements
The Steering Committee consists of prominent leaders and global experts within the carbon accounting, climate target-setting, and reporting ecosystem with a demonstrated track record of providing strategic leadership, driving action among peers, and advancing productive dialogue on contentious or challenging climate/sustainability topics. Membership of the Steering Committee requires:
- A good understanding and interest in GHG reporting standards and the broader global environment in which the GHG Protocol operates (including financial, economic, business, environmental, social, and other relevant societal matters).
- Strong commitment to promoting transparency and integrity in corporate climate reporting aligned with the global 1.5°C goal
- Demonstrated track record of providing strategic leadership with global organizational responsibility in a technical/scientific setting.
- Awareness of the financial reporting environment. This global awareness should include awareness of business and financial reporting issues that are relevant to and affect the relevance of transparent financial reporting and disclosure in the various capital markets worldwide including those using the standards.
- Political skill and cultural sensitivity – demonstrated experience in working constructively with a wide range of international and national bodies.
- Experience of working in a collegial environment with a globally diverse team
- The ability to communicate effectively. While a sound working knowledge of English is necessary, it is not necessary to speak it as a first language.
- Independence, intellectual rigor and balanced judgment.
- A wide-spread high-level network in the climate ecosystem and beyond and a credible and globally recognized voice in the fight against climate change.
- A firm commitment to the GHG Protocol, including its mission and role as a global standard-setter on GHG accounting and serving in the public interest.
How to Apply
Please indicate your interest by sending a cover letter and CV, addressed to Steering Committee Nominating Committee, via email to GHGP-SteerCo@egonzehnder.com by January 15, 2024.
Interviews for successful applicants will commence in the first quarter of 2024 and continue on a rolling basis. The Steering Committee is expected to start meeting in the second quarter of 2024 building towards a full complement of members as soon as feasible.
Nominations for the Independent Standards Board (ISB)
The Independent Standards Board is a decision-making body within the GHG Protocol with the mandate of reviewing and approving GHG Protocol standards, guidance, and other normative documentation, according to the GHG Protocol Rules of Procedure, exclusively in the public interest. The initial purview of the Independent Standards Board will be GHG Protocol’s suite of corporate standards and guidance (e.g., Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Standard/Guidance, and Scope 3 Standard/Guidance).
The responsibilities of the Independent Standards Board are as follows:
- Provide strategic guidance to the GHG Protocol Steering Committee (SC), Technical Working Groups (TWGs), and GHG Protocol Secretariat on the scope of work for standards development and updates and approving the composition for TWGs.
- Approve standards, guidance, and other normative documents guided by agreed decision-making criteria and hierarchy for standards development.
- Provide technical and policy guidance to the TWGs and make decisions related to standards to resolve disagreements within and between the TWGs.
- Support the widespread adoption of GHG Protocol standards and guidance by companies, GHG reporting and target setting programs, governments, and financial institutions.
The ISB is expected to meet approximately six times in the first year, including two in-person meetings and the remainder virtual. This frequency is expected to grow in the second year but shall not exceed twelve meetings per year. Overall, ISB members should expect to commit up to 25 days per year, inclusive of preparatory time. The actual time commitment will depend on several factors including the degree of consensus achieved in the TWGs.
ISB members will serve a term of two years, with option to serve two terms. Following the end of the first term, an assessment will be conducted that may lead to the renewal of term for a portion of the ISB. All members will be subject to a conflict-of-interest policy.
Being a member of the GHG Protocol Independent Standards Board is a part-time position. The GHG Protocol can provide remuneration to ISB members at a fixed rate to be defined by the GHG Protocol Management Team and subject to Steering Committee approval. Expenses for travel and the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred on GHG Protocol business will be paid by the GHG Protocol.
What we are looking for
The Independent Standards Board will consist of twelve to eighteen leading global experts in GHG emissions accounting and reporting. Members will serve in their individual capacities. The composition will reflect a diversity of experience and identities and balanced professional backgrounds from academia/science/research, civil society, regulatory/policy/standard setting bodies, and the corporate/financial/auditing/consulting world.
Candidate requirements
The ISB consists of prominent experts with a strong track record in advancing the global climate and sustainability agenda.
Membership of the ISB requires:
- demonstrated expertise in GHG accounting and reporting and good understanding of GHG reduction target setting;
- judicious decision-making abilities, intellectual rigor, and balanced judgement;
- excellent analytical thinking skills combined with a pragmatic mindset;
- strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to represent the GHG Protocol effectively and to listen to, consider, debate, and influence the views of others;
- the ability to work as a team player with personal impact working collegially with a range of individuals from across the globe;
- ability to act in full independence from other employment and real or perceived conflicts-of-interest;
- demonstrated awareness of the global political and economic environment, and the ecosystems of stakeholders in which GHG Protocol operates; and
- a commitment to serving the GHG Protocol mission and the public interest.
How to apply
Members of the Independent Standards Board will be appointed by the GHG Protocol’s Steering Committee through a rigorous process. Please indicate your interest by sending a cover letter and CV, addressed to ISB Nominating Committee, via email to GHGP-ISB@egonzehnder.com by January 15, 2024.
Interviews for successful applicants will commence in early 2024 and continue on a rolling basis. The Independent Standards Board is expected to start meeting in the first quarter of 2024, building towards a full complement of members as soon as feasible.
Who We Are
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is a multi-stakeholder partnership of businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, and others co-hosted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Launched in 1998, the mission of GHG Protocol is to develop internationally accepted greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and reporting standards and tools, and to promote their adoption to achieve a net zero emissions economy worldwide.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the world’s leading authority and international standard setter on corporate greenhouse (GHG) emissions accounting. Over 92% of Fortune 500 companies that report emissions data to CDP use the GHG Protocol to do so. The GHG Protocol provides standards, tools, and online training to help companies, countries and cities track progress toward their climate goals.
For further information, visit www.ghgprotocol.org
The World Resources Institute: Founded in 1982, The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development: WBCSD is the premier global, CEO-led community of over 200 of the world’s leading sustainable businesses working collectively to accelerate the system transformations needed for a net zero, nature positive, and more equitable future. Together, we are the leading voice of business for sustainability, united by our vision of creating a world in which 9+ billion people are living well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century.