A New Era in Carbon Accounting:

On 9 September 2025, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) announced a landmark strategic partnership to harmonize their leading GHG standards and co-develop unified global standards for carbon emissions measurement and reporting. The GHG Protocol offers comprehensive guidelines for managing GHG emissions and greater flexibility; ISO 1406X, on the other hand, provides a more structured framework for quantifying and verifying results, which can be easier to implement.

Why this matters

As of now, companies, investors, and policymakers have to navigate multiple GHG standards with different scopes and verification methods under ISO 1406X and The GHG Protocol.

This partnership will:

• Create a global language for GHG accounting
• Simplify reporting processes for companies
• Increase consistency for policymakers and regulators
• Reduce confusion and reporting burdens for stakeholders
• Bring technical rigour, policy relevance and practical usability into one set of standards

What’s coming next:

The collaboration will deliver a harmonized portfolio of dual-logo standards covering:

• Corporate emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3)
• Product carbon footprints
• Project-level accounting

This is a huge step forward in enabling credible, comparable, and science-based emissions data, vital for achieving the Paris Agreement goals and net-zero pathways.

Global recognition

• The move has already been welcomed by global leaders, including the ISSB, COP30 High-Level Champions, and major climate investors. It marks a shift toward clarity, trust, and accountability in carbon markets worldwide.
• This agreement is a big step forward in the effort to standardise climate-related issues. It is a response to recent calls for harmonisation, including from the B7 community – a key body that represents business interests to the G7 leadership. The goal of the B7 is to contribute to the G7 agenda by providing a business perspective on major economic issues through recommendations and proposals.

Why your business should care

For companies, this means reporting will become more consistent and aligned with disclosure frameworks like the ISSB baseline. For investors, it means reliable data to deploy capital. For policymakers, it means harmonization that supports effective climate accountability.

Our take

We see this as a breakthrough that will reshape ESG reporting and climate accountability. Both ISO and GHG Protocol share a common vision of advancing climate action effectively, this harmonisation effort is a positive step towards a more efficient and consistent approach towards GHG Accounting.

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