GHG Protocol and ISO Updates: What the new global carbon accounting standard mean for corporate emission reporting 

Written by: Will Bourns, Solutions Manager – Impacts and dependencies | Last updated: 12.08.2026

Two important updates landed at the end of July. The GHG Protocol and ISO are consolidating their corporate carbon accounting standards into a single, co-branded global standard covering Scopes 1, 2 and 3 and the treatment of market instruments. Consolidation is welcome news, but the new standard is now expected in Q4 2028. The more revealing update came from the Scope 2 consultation. Nearly 1,100 responses broadly supported improving the accuracy and integrity of electricity emissions reporting, but there was much less support for some of the proposed measures, particularly hourly matching and deliverability.  

Under today’s rules, companies can match electricity consumption with renewable energy certificates annually and across relatively broad geographic markets. This can create a disconnect between consumption and the renewable generation underpinning a market-based claim. For example, electricity consumed overnight could be matched against solar generation produced during the day elsewhere within an eligible market. Hourly matching aligns renewable generation with when electricity is used, while deliverability ensures it comes from a location that can credibly supply it. Together, they would more closely align renewable electricity claims with the electricity system actually supplying a company’s operations. 

For supporters, this raises the credibility bar and provides stronger signals for investment in power system decarbonisation. The counterargument is that granular matching is more complex and potentially more expensive, particularly for companies with distributed loads across many sites. 

Should companies continue reporting Scope 2? For now, nothing changes. 

Companies should continue reporting Scope 2 under existing GHG Protocol requirements, measuring both location and market based emissions. SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard V2.0 provides an indication of the direction of travel: annual matching remains the baseline, while hourly matching sits within a voluntary recognition framework, with certain large electricity users also required to disclose hourly matching performance. The signal is becoming clearer: annual matching remains acceptable today, but expectations around the credibility of market-based renewable electricity claims are rising. 

Three things companies can do now for their corporate emission reporting

Whatever the final requirements, better visibility of what you consume and what your renewable electricity contracts actually deliver is good practice. 

• Understand your electricity consumption: Build visibility by site, grid region and, where possible, hour. More granular data will help you adapt to future requirements, but it also gives you a better understanding of when and where your electricity demand occurs. 
• Know what you’re buying: Talk to your energy suppliers about what sits behind your renewable electricity products: where and when the electricity is generated, how the attributes are matched to your consumption, and what alternatives such as time-stamped certificates, granular PPAs or 24/7 carbon-free energy products are available. Better procurement starts with understanding what you’re actually paying for. 
• Review existing PPAs and long-term contracts: Map when major contracts expire and understand what they currently deliver. Use future renewal points to consider whether greater temporal and geographic matching would improve the quality of your renewable electricity procurement, rather than waiting for new rules to require it. 

There is more certainty about the direction of travel, even if the final rules remain unsettled. Better understanding when and where you use electricity and what your renewable procurement actually delivers makes sense regardless of where the standard lands. 

At Simply Sustainable, we help organisations turn evolving carbon-accounting requirements into practical action. From strengthening Scope 1, 2 and 3 data through our carbon footprinting and GHG accounting solution to reviewing renewable electricity procurement and developing credible net-zero transition plans, we help businesses prepare for change while delivering measurable environmental and commercial value. 

GHG Protocol and ISO FAQ:

References 

1. Carbon footprinting and GHG accounting
2.  Net-zero transition plans
3. GHG Protocol announcement.