• Increased Standards Alignment: GHG Protocol brings CDP, EFRAG, GRI, ISSB, and SBTi into its Independent Standards Board to enhance cross-framework coordination.
• Non-Voting Observers, Strategic Influence: While non-voting, these entities will shape standards development and revisions at the highest level.
• Support for Corporate Climate Goals: The collaboration streamlines GHG reporting for companies navigating growing regulatory and investor expectations.

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has expanded its Independent Standards Board (ISB) by welcoming five major sustainability standard-setters as non-voting observers—CDP, EFRAG, GRI, ISSB, and SBTi.

These entities influence or align with GHG Protocol methodologies and will now play a strategic role in shaping future standards. The move targets greater harmonisation in GHG accounting, reporting, and target-setting frameworks—a crucial step for corporates facing mounting pressure to disclose credible and consistent climate data.

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“This alignment will create material benefits for corporates seeking to set and achieve climate targets by creating a more streamlined process across programmes,” said Alexander Bassen, Chair of the ISB.

Each organisation underscored the value of this new collaboration:

• Amir Sokolowski, Director of Climate at CDP, stressed the need to “link environmental disclosure to robust accounting standards” as key to driving “systemic change across the economy.”
• Patrick de Cambourg, Chair of EFRAG, said their involvement is aimed at “supporting consistency and comparability in GHG reporting across the EU and beyond.”
• Bastian Buck, GRI’s Chief Standards Officer, highlighted their “longstanding collaboration” with GHG Protocol and confirmed GRI’s commitment to future standards work.
• Sue Lloyd, Vice-Chair of ISSB, noted the importance of the GHG Protocol in their IFRS S2 climate standard and its “relevance to investor-focused disclosures.”
• Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Chief Technical Officer of SBTi, said the partnership “reinforces the foundations of credible climate target-setting and tracking.”

This development is set to drive stronger coordination between frameworks, helping companies align their reporting with evolving global expectations—an increasingly strategic priority for boards and executive leadership.

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