Greenhouse gas reporting schemes

Learn about the various greenhouse gas reporting schemes popular in the market today.

A greenhouse gas reporting scheme is a framework or program established to require businesses, or countries to measure, document, and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These schemes are designed to provide transparency, accountability, and systematic data collection about emissions of different greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. The reported data helps inform climate policy, supports emission reduction strategies, and can be used for compliance with regulations or participation in emissions trading schemes.

Greenhouse gas reporting schemes vary widely in their methodologies, meaning they are often incomparable. They are also often open to subjective interpretation (or misinterpretation), leaving some of the most impactful decisions completely up to the reporter.

Overview of GHG reporting schemes

Name	Scope of reporting	Regulatory nature	Coverage
US EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP)	Mandatory reporting of large point sources and suppliers	Mandatory	Facilities in the United States emitting ≥25,000 metric tonnes CO2e
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol)	Comprehensive guidance for corporate GHG accounting	Mandated in ESRS (CSRD) and VSME	Companies, governments, NGOs
European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)	Trading and reporting of emissions from certain sectors	Mandatory	Power plants, industries, airlines in the European Union
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): 305	Report and disclose greenhouse gas emissions	Voluntary	Organisations globally
ISO 14064 Standard	International standard for GHG quantification and reporting	Mandated in ESRS (CSRD)	Organisations globally

Relationship between GHG reporting and sustainability reporting

Global sustainability reporting standards

Many sustainability reporting frameworks mandate or recommend specific GHG reporting standards for emissions disclosures. For instance, if reporting to fulfill the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), entities must align with ESRS, which requires following the GHG Protocol or ISO 14064 for greenhouse gas accounting. Similarly, the Voluntary SME (VSME) standard requires mandatory Scope 1 and 2, and voluntary Scope 3 emissions reporting following the GHG Protocol. For details, see our articles on CSRD requirements and the VSME standard.

Nordic sustainability reporting standards

NSRS and Eco-Lighthouse (Miljøfyrtårn) are voluntary sustainability reporting frameworks originating in the Nordics, both in line with VSME.

Name	Scope of reporting	Regulatory nature	Coverage
Eco-Lighthouse (Miljøfyrtårn)	Reporting on various ESG metrics	Voluntary	Municipalities, counties, companies in the Nordics
Nordic Sustainability Reporting Standard (NSRS)	Reporting on various ESG metrics	Voluntary	Small and medium-sized companies in the Nordics