ISO and GHG Protocol Partnership: What It Means for Carbon Accounting

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) have recently announced a joint partnership to standardise global greenhouse gas emissions reporting. The aim is to harmonise their existing frameworks and co-develop new GHG accounting standards. This partnership is highly significant for businesses grappling with fragmented requirements, as it promises a coherent global language for measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions.

Understanding the ISO Carbon Standards and GHG Protocol

For years, the ISO and the GHG Protocol have been the major frameworks guiding carbon measurement and disclosure for companies. This means organisations have had to navigate adherence to two different frameworks, making carbon accounting more complex than it needs to be.

• ISO 14064 – outlines principles and requirements for quantifying corporate emissions and provides a framework for verification.
• ISO 14067 – focuses on product carbon footprinting.
• ISO 14068 – establishes requirements for demonstrating carbon neutrality.

These standards provide methodologies for quantifying and reporting corporate emissions, product carbon footprints and verification processes. They are often embedded directly into legislation, offering formal structure and compliance rigour.

• GHG Protocol standards: Developed jointly by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the greenhouse gas protocols are the most widely used globally. Their Corporate Standard, Scope 2 and Scope 3 frameworks are relied upon by disclosure platforms like CDP and underpin regulatory efforts, including the EU’s CSRD and the ISSB’s baseline.

While both approaches have strengths, their separate evolution created inconsistencies. Organisations often faced duplication of effort, translating data between ISO and GHG accounting standards to meet investor or regulatory requirements. The ISO and GHG Protocol partnership directly addresses this problem.

The New ISO and GHG Protocol Partnership

The new collaboration will deliver co-branded, harmonised carbon accounting standards covering corporate, product and project-level emissions. Specifically:

• Integration of existing standards: The ISO 1406X family will merge with the GHG Protocol’s Corporate, Scope 2 and Scope 3 Standards.
• A joint product carbon footprint standard: Reflecting the growing demand for granular value chain data, the two organisations will co-develop a single methodology for product-level accounting.
• Create co-branded standards: All unified standards will carry both ISO and GHG Protocol logos, making them instantly recognisable to regulators, investors, and auditors.

Sergio Mujica, ISO’s Secretary-General, framed it as a “new era for the carbon accounting landscape,” while Geraldine Matchett, Chair of the GHG Protocol Steering Committee, called it a “historic agreement” that would simplify tasks for all stakeholders.

What Does this Partnership Mean for Businesses

The ISO and GHG Protocol partnership has practical implications across reporting, supply chain management and investor relations.

Simplified Reporting

Currently, organisations often juggle both ISO and GHG Protocol requirements. This partnership will mean one consistent framework, reducing time, cost and complexity in GHG reporting.

Greater Consistency

A unified standard creates comparability across sectors and borders, essential for global companies reporting under multiple regimes. This addresses one of the biggest criticisms of sustainability data today: lack of consistency.

Enhanced Credibility

By combining ISO’s technical rigour with the GHG Protocol’s market dominance, the partnership creates a trusted reference point for auditors, investors and regulators.

Increased Efficiency

Supply chains will face less duplication, with suppliers only needing to provide one set of emissions data instead of tailoring it for different frameworks.

The timing of the ISO and GHG Protocol partnership is convenient for organisations as sustainability reporting increasingly becomes mandatory for various sectors. Governments and investors have been calling for the convergence of sustainability frameworks, particularly as reporting requirements expand. The ISO and GHG Protocol partnership will help ease the regulatory burden for EU-based organisations preparing to start reporting under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Addressing the Scope 3 Challenge

One of the most complex areas of GHG reporting is tracking Scope 3 emissions. These emissions occur in the value chain, from purchased goods and services to customer use of products. For many companies, Scope 3 represents more than 70% of their total footprint. The ISO and GHG Protocol partnership is expected to deliver clearer, more consistent methodologies for Scope 3 data. This includes the new product carbon footprint standard, which will help procurement teams and supply chain managers gather comparable, reliable data from suppliers. This is particularly important for companies planning to set science-based targets, as without scope 3 data, your decarbonisation pathway may be inadequate.

Learn More: Set Science-Based Targets for Net Zero Goals | Tunley Environmental

Preparing for the New Reporting Standards

Although the harmonised standards are still in development, here’s how your organisation can begin preparing:

1. Audit your current frameworks – Map how your organisation currently uses ISO 14064, ISO 1406X, or greenhouse gas protocols.
2. Review data systems – Ensure carbon data management platforms can adapt to new reporting structures.
3. Strengthen Scope 3 data collection – Engage suppliers now to improve transparency and accuracy.
4. Work with verifiers – Discuss upcoming dual-logo standards with auditors to understand verification pathways. You can also work with third-party sustainability consultants who will help guide you on navigating these upcoming changes.
5. Monitor regulatory signals – Keep track of ISSB and CSRD guidance to anticipate mandatory adoption.

The Bottom Line

The ISO and GHG Protocol partnership aims to ensure global consistency by combining methodologies, terminology and verification approaches, creating one coherent framework for GHG reporting. Right now, it is not yet clear when the harmonised standards will be finalised and implemented. Businesses may face a transition period where both old and new frameworks must be supported. Organisations that prepare now will be best positioned to thrive under the new unified system and to demonstrate meaningful climate leadership in the decade ahead.