The GHG Protocol and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have announced a major new collaboration to jointly develop a unified global standard for product-level greenhouse gas accounting. This initiative marks a significant step toward harmonizing methodologies that companies use to calculate and report the carbon footprints of their products, an area where inconsistencies between frameworks have long created confusion for businesses, regulators, and investors.

The new standard will be developed through a Joint Working Group that brings together ISO’s Technical Committee expertise and the GHG Protocol’s established leadership in emissions accounting. This group will expand on ISO’s existing Working Group 8 and involve technical specialists from across greenhouse gas, life cycle assessment, and value chain data communities. The aim is to ensure that the resulting guidance is scientifically robust, practical for industry, and aligned with emerging regulatory expectations.

Rather than creating an entirely new system, the collaboration will integrate the strengths of two widely used existing frameworks: ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard. By merging these approaches, the new guidance seeks to establish a single, globally consistent methodology for product carbon footprints, something increasingly important as supply chains face more scrutiny and governments introduce carbon-related trade policies such as border adjustment measures.

The two organizations emphasize that a unified standard will improve market confidence, reduce reporting burdens, and make it easier for companies to share credible emissions data across supply chains. This is especially relevant as digital product passports, emissions-data exchange systems, and climate-related procurement rules gain momentum worldwide.

To support this process, the GHG Protocol has issued an open call for experts to participate in the Joint Working Group. Specialists in product-level GHG accounting, LCA methodologies, supply chain emissions, and digital data frameworks are encouraged to apply. The group will help shape the technical content of the standard, with terms of reference and timelines to be finalized as membership is assembled.

Overall, this joint ISO–GHG Protocol effort represents a major step toward global alignment in product-level climate disclosures, offering the potential to streamline reporting, strengthen comparability, and accelerate corporate decarbonization efforts across industries.

Source:

https://ghgprotocol.org/blog/announcement-iso-ghg-protocol-jointly-develop-new-product-level-ghg-accounting-standard-call