What’s next for the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 overhaul

This is corporate carbon accounting news, not something that changes what a homeowner can do with their own house. But it's worth knowing since it touches how companies report the emissions tied to the electricity they buy — which shapes how much they invest in clean power and grid upgrades.

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which sets the rules companies use to count their carbon footprint, is overhauling how it measures emissions from purchased electricity (called Scope 2). One idea on the table was requiring companies to match their electricity use to clean power purchases hour by hour, instead of just adding it up over a year. More than 1,100 comments came in on the proposal, and support was weak — only 12 percent of businesses that responded backed the hourly requirement. Companies worried it would be costly to track, discourage clean energy purchases, and should be optional rather than mandatory.

Because of this pushback, the group is now looking for a middle ground. One idea getting fresh attention: giving companies credit for investing in energy storage or renewable energy contracts in places still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, even without local operations there. Backers say this could push more real investment into cleaning up power grids, rather than just paperwork. A working group meets in September to sort through the feedback, with any changes needing approval from the standard-setter's board before they're final.