Overview

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. GHG Protocol is in the process of selecting and convening members of the groups listed below as a part of GHG Protocol's multi-stakeholder governance process.

• Steering Committee
• Independent Standards Board
• Technical Working Groups
• About Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• GHG Protocol Secretariat

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. 

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.  

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. 

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.  

Technical Working Groups (TWGs)

Members of the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) will play a primary role in the development of the technical content of the updated GHG Protocol standards and guidance. The detailed Terms of Reference for the Technical Working Groups are under development and will be finalized in consultation with the GHG Protocol Steering Committee and Independent Standards Board. 

We anticipate convening Technical Working Groups that will focus on the follow areas: 

1. Corporate Standard: Development of updates and/or additional guidance related to the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. Topics for this workstream include those outlined in the Corporate Standard Webinar.
2. Scope 2: Development of updates and/or additional guidance related to the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance. Topics for this workstream include those outlined in the Scope 2 Survey Summary.
3. Scope 3: Development of updates and/or additional guidance related to the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard and Scope 3 Technical Guidance. Topics for this workstream include those outlined in the Scope 3 Webinar.
4. Mitigation impacts / market-based mechanisms: Development of guidance on options for accounting and reporting for GHG impacts/mitigation outcomes resulting from the organization’s activities using inventory accounting and/or project-based accounting methods. Topics for this workstream include those outlined in the Market-based Accounting Webinar.

The GHG Protocol Secretariat in consultation with the Independent Standards Board will finalize the design and structure of the Technical Working Group to best address the areas of focus listed here. 

Additional information on these workstreams, including links to all survey summary webinars and presentations, as well as available survey summary reports can be found here.

The GHG Protocol Secretariat in consultation with the Independent Standards Board will select TWG members based on expertise of applicants in the topic area(s) and to ensure that each group has balanced representation from stakeholders (e.g., organization type, sector, geography, gender, etc.). Each Technical Working Group will consist of experts from business, government, academia, and NGOs with technical backgrounds and expertise in the relevant standard or guidance.

To maintain manageable sizes for the Technical Working Groups, the GHG Protocol Secretariat and governance bodies will select only a subset of stakeholders who express interest in participating. As the Technical Working Groups will be limited in size to allow for constructive discussion in meetings, we encourage those looking to contribute to the GHG Protocol updates to also consider joining the Review Group, which is open to all stakeholders, or to sign up to receive regular updates on this work. Updates and information from Technical Working Groups will be publicly available and accessible for all throughout the process.

For the set of technical accounting issues designated to the group, the Technical Working Group responsibilities is expected to include the following:

• Provide expert input on the issues under consideration based on the GHG Protocol decision-making criteria
• Review relevant methods and practices; analyze the issues and challenges; and develop proposals and recommendations for the content of standards/guidance
• Contribute to draft text on the issues and review draft text at frequent intervals 
• Review and respond to feedback from the Independent Standards Board, Review and/, and Pilot Testing Groups (if applicable) 

About Greenhouse Gas Protocol

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. 

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.   

GHG Protocol Secretariat

The GHG Protocol Secretariat is staffed by World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. 

World Resources Institute: Founded in 1982, 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.