Glossary:Green house gas protocol

Also called GHG Protocol

An emissions quantification framework that is widely used by businesses, industry associations, NGOs, and other organizations. Some initiatives use the GHG Protocol for their emissions quantification requirements. GHG protocol has published several standards but is recognized for these two emission quantification guidelines:

1. Corporate Standard – for scope 1, 2, and energy-related scope 3, and
2. Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard – for life-cycle emissions, both upstream and downstream

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol provides standards for both the public and the private sector about measuring greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitric oxide hydrofluorocarbons and other trace gases. Through its standards, it creates a common ground for sustainability certifications and reporting systems.

Because of this standardization, it allows companies to thoroughly understand their greenhouse gas emissions and creates collective understanding of the problem. Moreover, it allows companies to critically think about appropriate actions that should be taken to fight these emissions. When a company understands its emissions

and has taken steps to reduce these, it enables the company to make environmental claims towards stakeholders. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) was established through a partnership between the World Resources Institute and the Business Council for Sustainable Development. The GHGP is divided into 3 scopes:

Scope 1:

Covers all direct emissions. The company or organization itself is responsible for these emissions. For example, the CO2 emissions which are emitted due to the combustion of diesel from machines on the production location of the company. An exception is the combustion, fermentation, or gasification of biomass.

Scope 2:

Covers all greenhouse gas emissions that are emitted from the production of energy. For example, grey electricity production emits CO2. This means scope 2 is not about emissions on location, but about the emissions produced at the location where the electricity is produced needed by the company or organization.

Scope 3:

Covers all GHG emissions that are not covered by scope 1 or 2 and needs to cover the entire value chain of the company or the organization. This scope often represents the largest source of emissions and covers both upstream and downstream activities of the organization. Examples of these are; capital goods, business travels, purchased goods and services and franchises.