Carbon accounting

This article is about accounting for greenhouse gases from organizations, communities, companies and mitigation projects. For inventorying GHGs from regions and states, see Greenhouse gas inventory.

Graph showing how Scopes 1, 2 and 3 can be thought of in terms of carbon accounting principles.
Depiction of carbon accounting using the WRI-Greenhouse Gas Protocol classification of emissions into three categories: Scope 1, 2, and 3. Additional downstream Scope 3 sources are shown on WRI’s website.[1][2]

Carbon accounting (or greenhouse gas accounting) is a framework of methods to measure and track how much greenhouse gas (GHG) an organization emits.[3] It can also be used to track projects or actions to reduce emissions in sectors such as forestry or renewable energy. Corporations, cities and other groups use these techniques to help limit climate change. Organizations will often set an emissions baseline, create targets for reducing emissions, and track progress towards them. The accounting methods enable them to do this in a more consistent and transparent manner.

The main reasons for GHG accounting are to address social responsibility concerns or meet legal requirements. Public rankings of companies, financial due diligence and potential cost savings are other reasons. GHG accounting methods help investors better understand the climate risks of companies they invest in. They also help with net zero emission goals of corporations or communities. Many governments around the world require various forms of reporting. There is some evidence that programs that require GHG accounting help to lower emissions.[4] Markets for buying and selling carbon credits depend on accurate measurement of emissions and emission reductions. These techniques can help to understand the impacts of specific products and services. They do this by quantifying their GHG emissions throughout their lifecycle (carbon footprint).

These techniques can be used at different scales, from those of companies and cities, to the greenhouse gas inventories of entire nations. They require measurements, calculations and estimates. A variety of standards and guidelines can apply, including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064. These usually group the emissions into three categories. The Scope 1 category includes the direct emissions from an organization's facilities. Scope 2 includes the emissions from energy purchased by the organization. Scope 3 includes other indirect emissions, such as those from suppliers and from the use of the organization’s products.[5][6]

There are a number of challenges in creating accurate accounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3 emissions, in particular, can be difficult to estimate. For example, problems with additionality and double counting issues can affect the credibility of carbon offset schemes. Accuracy checks on accounting reports from companies and projects are important. Organizations like Climate Trace are now able to check reports against actual emissions via the use of satellite imagery and AI techniques.[7]

  1. ^ Hills, Karen (20 April 2022). "The Basics of Carbon Markets and Trends: Something to Keep an Eye On | CSANR | Washington State University". Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Greenhouse Gas Protocol". World Resources Institute. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Carbon Accounting". Corporate Finance Institute. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Briefing: What are Scope 3 emissions?". 25 February 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Greenhouse Gas Protocol 2004 25 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Kim, J. "Al Gore helped launch a global emissions tracker that keeps big polluters honest". NPR.org. Retrieved 5 January 2023.