GHG Protocol delays stricter electricity-emissions rules after companies push back
Most companies opposed requirements to match clean power purchases to the hour and place they use electricity, so the standard-setter will let them keep current rules until an unset date.
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, which sets the most widely used standards for corporate emissions reporting, plans to delay stricter rules that would require companies to match clean energy purchases to when and where they actually use electricity.
The proposed changes to its Scope 2 guidance, which covers emissions from purchased electricity, heat and cooling, would have required hourly matching and that renewable power come from the same grid market where it is consumed. Supporters say this would steer corporate demand toward clean power where it is scarce.
Companies largely rejected the idea in a consultation launched in October 2025, according to a piece published Monday by Mark Segal in ESG Today. Only 12% supported hourly matching, while 82% gave low or no support. For the deliverability requirement, 19% were in favor and 71% were not. Most respondents said the rules would be costly and could discourage participation in voluntary clean energy markets.
Under the new approach, companies should use the stricter method but may keep using the current rules until a future date that has not been set, as long as they disclose which method they use. After that date, the stricter method would be required where good-quality data is available.
The GHG Protocol plans to consult on the updated proposals in the second quarter of 2027, with a joint corporate standard with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) expected in the fourth quarter of 2028. Energy generation accounts for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the GHG Protocol.
This brief is based on reporting by Mark Segal, published Oct. 26, 2026, in ESG Today. Read the original: https://www.esgtoday.com/ghg-protocol-to-push-back-stricter-scope-2-reporting-rules-after-corporate-objections/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
