The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the global standard for corporate emissions accounting, is increasingly embedded in policy, drawing new scrutiny of its governance.

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The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is the global standard for how companies measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions. It is used by most large companies worldwide and increasingly underpins climate disclosure requirements in places like the European Union and California.

Originally developed outside of government, the Protocol filled a gap at a time when policymakers had not agreed on how emissions should be measured. But its role has evolved, and what began as a voluntary reporting tool is now becoming embedded in climate policy.

As its influence has grown, so has scrutiny. Questions about how emissions are counted have persisted. More recently, attention has turned to how the Protocol itself is governed, including how decisions are made, who has influence, how scientific input is handled, and how transparent the process is.

Danny Cullenward, senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and a member of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Independent Standards Board, discusses how the Protocol was developed, how its role has evolved, and the challenges it faces as it takes on a more central role in climate policy. He also examines whether recent governance changes go far enough, and what is at stake as the Protocol continues to shape how emissions are measured and reported.

Danny Cullenward is a senior fellow at the Kleinman Center and a member of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Independent Standards Board.

Related Content

Governing the Greenhouse Gas Protocol https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/governing-the-greenhouse-gas-protocol/

Policy Design Issues for Border Carbon Adjustments https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/policy-design-issues-for-border-carbon-adjustments/

Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu

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