As previously communicated, WRI and WBCSD have begun a process to determine the need and scope for additional guidance or updates building on the existing set of corporate GHG accounting and reporting standards for scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. Additional guidance and updates will be designed to support and enhance implementation of the GHG Protocol standards and ensure harmonization and alignment with accounting rules under development through major disclosure initiatives including the US Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC), European Commission (e.g. EFRAG), and others. 

Initial inputs and evaluations have identified opportunities to enhance the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and improve harmonization across the interrelated Standards and Guidance documents for scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3. WRI and WBCSD are presently focused on two key components in the planning of the process – the design of a global survey and establishing a global stakeholder process.

The global survey will be designed to collect stakeholder input to establish the need, scope, and potential approaches to inform additional guidance or updates across the Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Guidance, Scope 3 Standard, and supporting documents. The survey will include an opportunity to submit proposals for suggested updates or additional guidance as well as for empirical research and analysis to inform any updates. We anticipate opening the survey in September/October and to solicit feedback over a two-month period. 

The global survey will complement other scoping activities being undertaken by the GHG Protocol Secretariat. These include ongoing informal stakeholder engagement and interviews and reports from researchers at Concordia University in Montréal, Canada who studied current practices in corporate GHG inventory reporting.  

Following the global stakeholder survey, the GHG Protocol Secretariat will share a summary of the survey results and written proposals submitted which will inform the next steps for updating the standards or developing additional guidance. In parallel to the survey process, we will begin planning the stakeholder development process, including developing a common governance structure and coordinated technical working groups.

As with all Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards, the updates and/or additional guidance will be developed through an inclusive, global, multi-stakeholder development process, with participation from business, NGOs, academia, and government worldwide.