The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) - a joint initiative of World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) - have announced a landmark partnership to harmonize their existing portfolios of greenhouse gas (GHG) standards and to co-develop new standards for GHG emissions accounting and reporting. 

Under the agreement, ISO and GHG Protocol will combine their leading GHG standards into harmonized co-branded international standards. This includes standards from the ISO 1406X family of standards, alongside the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting, Scope 2 and Scope 3 Standards.  

In addition, as a coherent approach across the full spectrum of carbon accounting activities is essential, the organizations will work on a joint product carbon footprint standard – reflecting the increase in companies seeking to access more granular data from across their value chain to guide decarbonization decisions. 

The harmonized portfolio will represent a major step towards a more common global language for emissions accounting – simplifying processes for companies, increasing consistency for policymakers, and reducing measurement and reporting burdens for all users. The agreement marks a significant milestone in climate-related standardization efforts and aligns with recent calls for harmonization by the B7 community (which is tasked with consolidating the interests of the business community and developing actionable recommendations to the G7 leadership) and the ISSB’s global baseline for sustainability-related disclosures. 

“ISO is proud to announce this landmark partnership with GHG Protocol, which drives forward an ambition that enables co-creation, resulting in a harmonized portfolio of standards. Both ISO and GHG Protocol have a shared vision to efficiently advance climate action and simplify the task for all stakeholders. This is a new era for the carbon accounting landscape and both organizations are thrilled to be working together,” Sergio Mujica, ISO Secretary General said. 

“We are very pleased to announce this historic agreement that leverages the respective strengths of both organizations. Harmonizing corporate, product and project-level GHG accounting standards is key. With users top of mind, this partnership establishes a new mechanism for long-term collaboration, demonstrating our commitment to reducing complexity in the field of international standards and allowing the development of the core frameworks needed to enable meaningful climate action across stakeholder groups,” Geraldine Matchett, Steering Committee Chair of GHG Protocol said. 

One of the barriers to effective climate action is the fragmentation of standards and policies. This new partnership, which includes a common approach and portfolio of dual-logo standards covering corporate, product and project accounting, addresses that challenge by aligning the existing portfolio of GHG standards and providing a shared platform for future co-development. 

Both ISO and GHG Protocol standards have been widely adopted by organizations around the world. The ISO 1406X family of standards is used by governments in legislation and regulation and forms the foundation for GHG reporting and verification frameworks in many industries. GHG Protocol standards are relied upon by leading sustainability and disclosure initiatives. 

By combining standards from the ISO 1406X series and the GHG Protocol suite of standards, the partnership will bring technical rigor, policy relevance and practical usability into one set of standards. It allows both organizations to use their collective reach and credibility to accelerate global uptake and drive meaningful emissions reductions. 

"The ISSB welcomes this development which will augment the globally accepted baseline for greenhouse gas accounting. Consistent, comparable carbon data is essential for investors globally enabling informed capital allocation decisions,” Emmanuel Faber, Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) said. 

"This partnership is a timely and critical step toward greater climate accountability. A unified set of standards for GHG emissions reporting will help raise ambition, enable credible net-zero pathways, and build trust across borders. As countries prepare for COP30, clarity and consistency in carbon accounting are essential to accelerating progress on the Paris Agreement goals,” Dan Ioschpe, COP30 High-Level Champion, said. 

"Investors need consistent, reliable data to deploy capital effectively in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Together ISO and GHG Protocol can provide coherent protocols as the basis for disclosure regimes globally, offering the credibility and simplicity the market needs,” Clara Barby, Senior Partner at Just Climate, said.  

Experts from both organizations will now collaborate through an integrated technical process, with the goal of delivering cohesive standards that meets the needs of all users, and support robust, science-based decarbonization across regions, sectors and economies. 

For more information, visit www.iso.org or www.ghgprotocol.org.