ISO and GHGProtocol Partner for Global Carbon Standards
In a groundbreaking move toward climate accountability, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol a joint initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have announced a strategic partnership to align and co-develop international standards for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measurement and reporting.
🤝 Why This Collaboration Happened?
Fragmentation of Standards: Until now, greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting standards have been developed independently across multiple institutions:
· ISO has its ISO 1406X series (often including ISO 14064) tailored for organizational, project-level, and verification standards.
· GHG Protocol, managed by WRI and WBCSD, offers corporate accounting frameworks, including the Corporate, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Standards.
This multiplicity led to the following issues across the sectors:
1)Confusion and increased reporting burdens for stakeholders.
2)Inconsistent terminology and methodologies hampering comparability.
3)Investor and policy demand for clarity and reliability.
Momentum toward harmonization in the climate governance landscape.
Positive impact of collaboration:
This collaboration marks a significant shift in carbon accounting, aiming to streamline the fragmented landscape of existing standards. The organizations will combine ISO’s 1406X family of standards with the GHG Protocol’s Corporate Accounting and Reporting, Scope 2, and Scope 3 standards into co-branded, harmonized guidelines. Additionally, the partnership will introduce a unified product carbon footprint standard to meet growing demand for value-chain emissions data.
Why This Matters:
Ø Clarity and Consistency: A common framework will reduce confusion and reporting burdens for companies, investors, auditors, policymakers, and verifiers
Ø Investor Confidence: Streamlined, credible emissions data is essential for capital allocation in the transition to a low-carbon economy
Ø Global Alignment: This effort aligns with calls for harmonization by the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board), the B7 business community, and in anticipation of COP30
While no formal timeline has been announced, this initiative sets the stage for more transparent, robust, and globally usable carbon accounting frameworks.
At AVA we believe that this partnership is a pivotal step toward eliminating fragmentation in carbon accounting. By unifying ISO and GHG Protocol standards, businesses and investors gain clearer, more consistent data strengthening trust and accelerating the global transition to a low-carbon economy.
