GHG Protocol actions and market instruments: what is being decided, and when

The GHG Protocol’s Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Guidance and Scope 3 Standard are being revised and brought together in a consolidated corporate standard. A separate workstream covers actions and market instruments. It deals with how a company reports the outcome of projects and certificates, such as energy attribute certificates or book and claim certificates, that may not be reflected in its physical inventory. The GHG Protocol has worked in partnership with ISO since September 2025 on aligned standards.

• A white paper set out options for reporting actions and market instruments. It is a basis for discussion, not a draft standard.
• A request for information ran from 31 March to 31 May 2026 and received almost 500 responses.
• Preliminary feedback supported a multi-statement approach, with a physical inventory, a separate market-based inventory and an actions statement for outcomes outside the inventory.
• The workstream’s formal public consultation is planned for 2027.

Until the revision is complete, the current standards apply. Scope 3 is calculated under the Scope 3 Standard published in 2011, and its rules on what may change a company’s inventory have not been replaced. Frameworks that refer to the GHG Protocol, including ESRS E1, SBTi and California’s SB 253, will follow its changes.