The transition from climate ambition to accountability is accelerating. Over the past six months, major sustainability frameworks — including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and B Corporation (B Corp) — have introduced significant reforms redefining how organisations measure, report and act on their environmental impacts. These developments signal greater transparency and science alignment in climate action.
Proposed GHG Scope 2 revisions and impacts on electricity procurement
The GHG Protocol is proposing major updates to its Scope 2 Guidance to improve the accuracy and consistency of electricity-related emissions reporting. The revisions tighten rules for both location and market-based methods, introducing stricter emissions reporting rules and new Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) requirements, including hourly time matching and local sourcing. These changes, currently under consultation, significantly affect renewable procurement strategies, reporting practices, and decarbonisation planning. Organisations may face higher costs and operational challenges as markets adapt, making early review of energy contracts and long-term procurement plans essential ahead of implementation.
GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Standard
The GHG Protocol has released its first dedicated standard for land sector emissions and carbon removals — the Land Sector and Removals (LSR) Standard, published in January 2026 and effective from 2027. It provides a consistent framework for reporting emissions from agriculture, land use change, forestry, and carbon removal activities. These areas have long been marked by inconsistent data, despite representing around 22 per cent of global emissions. The standard applies to any company with significant land sector impacts and introduces stricter rules for Scopes 1 and 3 reporting, carbon removal claims, and supply chain traceability.
SBTi Corporate Net Zero Standard: Version 2
The Science Based Targets initiative has released a revised draft of its Corporate Net Zero Standard Version 2, following consultations that closed in late 2025. Version 1.3 remains valid until the end of 2027, after which all companies must adopt Version 2. The new standard introduces scope-specific target setting, new company categories, and refined rules across Scopes 1, 2 and 3. This includes clearer pathways, differentiated long-term requirements and expanded options for value chain alignment. Although still in draft form, Version 2 signals a major shift toward more tailored and transparent decarbonisation planning.
B Corp updated climate reporting
B Corp has released Version 2.2 of its updated standards, strengthening climate-related requirements for certification. The new framework, effective from 2026, replaces the previous points-based system with mandatory ‘Year 0’ criteria and ongoing improvement milestones at Years 3 and 5. Companies must measure and publicly disclose Scopes 1–3 emissions, set 1.5°C aligned climate action plans, and progressively implement science-based targets and transition strategies. Larger companies face stricter verification and governance expectations, including linking executive incentives to climate goals.
Biomethane certificates and alignment
Biomethane certificates are increasingly used to support natural gas decarbonisation. However, their acceptance for reporting Scope 1 emission reductions remains inconsistent across major standards. While the EU ETS, Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and the UK’s SECR framework permit their use under specific conditions, frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, SBTi and CSRD remain unclear as they develop updated guidance. Despite uncertainty, companies like AstraZeneca have begun incorporating biomethane certificates into their strategies, highlighting growing corporate interest amid evolving rules.
Keeping your strategy agile and compliant
With wide-sweeping standard and guidance changes, it is imperative that organisations adapt accordingly, both in their decarbonisation plans and business practices. Measures previously discarded as infeasible are now becoming possibilities but within tightening requirements. Organisations should be looking across their portfolio at a diverse range of measures to account for energy efficiency, decarbonisation, and contractual instruments.