1.2 Accounting and Reporting Principles
The GHG Protocol is based on five key accounting and reporting
principles: relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, and accuracy.
Chapter 1 of the Corporate Standard defines these principles as follows:
Corporate Standard, Chapter 1, “GHG Accounting and Reporting
Principles,” Page 7
Relevance
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Ensure the GHG inventory appropriately reflects
the GHG emissions of the company and serves the
decision-making needs of users — both internal and
external to the company.
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Completeness
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Account for and report on all GHG emission
sources and activities within the chosen inventory
boundary. Disclose and justify any specific
exclusions.
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Consistency
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Use consistent methodologies to allow for
meaningful comparisons of emissions over time.
Transparently document any changes to the data,
inventory boundary, methods, or any other relevant
factors in the time series.
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Transparency
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Address all relevant issues in a factual and
coherent manner, based on a clear audit trail.
Disclose any relevant assumptions and make
appropriate references to the accounting and
calculation methodologies and data sources
used.
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Accuracy
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Ensure that the quantification of GHG emissions
is systematically neither over nor under actual
emissions, as far as can be judged, and that
uncertainties are reduced as far as practicable.
Achieve sufficient accuracy to enable users to
make decisions with reasonable assurance as to the
integrity of the reported information.
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These principles provide the framework that persists throughout the
GHG Protocol and are intended to guide companies in their selection of reporting
policies and approaches. When companies prepare sustainability reports that result
from policy elections, it is imperative that they adhere to these principles to
ensure that users and other relevant parties are provided with accurate and complete
decision-useful data.