GHG Protocol

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) is the most widely used international standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. Developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), it provides the foundational framework for corporate carbon accounting.

The GHG Protocol establishes three key scopes of emissions:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (e.g., company vehicles, on-site fuel combustion)
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling
• Scope 3: All other indirect emissions across the value chain, both upstream and downstream

Key standards within the GHG Protocol include:

1. Corporate Standard , the core framework for company-level GHG inventories
2. Scope 3 Standard , guidance for measuring value chain emissions
3. Product Standard , lifecycle emissions of individual products
4. Project Protocol , quantification of GHG reductions from mitigation projects

The GHG Protocol is referenced by major regulatory frameworks including the CSRD and its European Sustainability Reporting Standards, as well as the Science Based Targets initiative. Under ESRS E1 (Climate change), companies must report emissions following GHG Protocol methodologies.

Most carbon management platforms , including Dcycle , use the GHG Protocol as the basis for emissions calculations and reporting.