GHG Carbon Footprint Verification

The GHG Protocol is a Guide for Managing Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The GHG Protocol (Greenhouse Gas Protocol), developed to manage and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is an important framework that provides a standard and guidance for organizations, governments and other stakeholders worldwide.

This protocol, created in 1998 by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council (WBCSD), provides a comprehensive roadmap for calculating, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions.

Emission Classification

The protocol divides emissions into two main categories and 3 scopes, direct and indirect:

Scope 1 - Direct Emissions: These are greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization. For example, fuels burned in boilers, fuels burned in vehicles, cooling units such as air conditioners, chillers, refrigerators, fire extinguishing systems (FM 200), cutting gases used in transformers (SF6), Land changes, industrial processes.

Scope 2 – Energy Indirect Emissions: Emissions released during the production of electricity, heat and steam imported by the organization while performing its activities.

Scope 3 – Other Indirect Emissions: Emissions that occur as a result of the organization's activities but come from external sources that cannot be directly controlled.

When we examine the GHG Protocol emission classification, it is seen that it is similar to the 2006 version of the ISO 14064-1 corporate carbon footprint calculation standard.

When we examine the 2018 version, which is the latest revision of the ISO 14064-1 corporate carbon footprint calculation standard, it is seen that the emissions classified as category 3-4-5-6 are parallel to the GHG Protocol scope 3 emissions.

Therefore, organizations that calculate and report according to the ISO 14064-1:2018 corporate carbon footprint standard can classify their emissions classified according to category 3-4-5-6 according to the GHG Protocol without the need for an additional calculation.

Calculations made according to the GHG Protocol can be classified according to ISO 14064-1:2018 according to the table below;

GHG Protokol	ISO 14064-1:2018
Scope 1 – Direct Emission	Category 1
Scope 2 – Energy EN Direct Emission	Category 2
Scope 3
3.1 Purchased goods and services	Category 4
3.2 Capital goods	Category 4
3.3 Fuel- and energy-related activities	Category 3-4-6 seçilebilir
3.4 Upstream transportation	Category 3
3.5 Waste generated in operations	Category 4
3.6 Business travel	Category 3
3.7 Employee commuting	Category 3
3.8 Upstream leased assets	Category 4
3.9 Downstream transportation	Category 3
3.10 Processing of sold products	Category 5
3.11 Use of sold products	Category 5
3.12 End-of-life treatment of sold products	Category 5
3.13 Downstream leased assets	Category 5
3.14 Franchises	Category 5
3.15 Investments	Category 5

GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1:2018 basic differences:

Although it is mandatory to calculate and report all the categories listed above according to the ISO 14064-1:2018 corporate carbon footprint standard, an organization making calculations according to the GHG Protocol can report any of the scopes in the table.

Although organizations making calculations according to the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard are required to report their calculations in accordance with the standard, there is no obligation for the GHG protocol.

While the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard requires the calculation of 7 greenhouse gases, the user can make calculations by only considering CO2 when making calculations according to the GHG protocol.

ISO 14064-1:2018 is an ISO standard and verification processes can be done with accreditation, but there is no accreditation for the GHG protocol.