ISO & GHG Protocol Unite for Global Carbon Standards

WASHINGTON DC (September 9, 2025) – A new chapter in carbon accounting has begun. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), a joint initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), have signed a landmark partnership agreement to harmonize their greenhouse gas (GHG) standards and jointly develop new frameworks for emissions measurement and reporting.

Until now, ISO and GHG Protocol standards have been developed separately, often leading to overlapping scopes and fragmented guidance. This new partnership will consolidate their leading frameworks – including the ISO 1406X series and GHG Protocol’s Corporate, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Standards – into co-branded, harmonized international standards.

The collaboration also includes the creation of a joint product carbon footprint standard, reflecting the growing demand from businesses for more detailed value chain data to guide decarbonization decisions. By establishing a unified global language for carbon accounting, the initiative aims to reduce confusion, streamline compliance, and strengthen trust among companies, investors, policymakers, and auditors.

Global leaders have welcomed the development. The International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) emphasized its alignment with the global baseline for sustainability disclosures, while climate champions highlighted its critical role in supporting Paris Agreement goals and COP30 ambitions.

With this partnership, ISO and GHG Protocol are set to remove one of the key barriers to climate action: fragmented standards. The harmonized portfolio will provide technical rigor, policy relevance, and usability in a single, credible framework – enabling consistent, comparable, and reliable carbon data worldwide.