An open letter, signed by 66 organisations involved in the carbon accounting space, has called on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) to introduce new flexibilities in its proposed revised Scope 2 guidance. They argue that the proposed hourly matching and deliverability requirements for companies’ market-based Scope 2 inventories should be made optional.
Signatories say the GHGP’s proposed approach would result in limited benefits to carbon accounting accuracy, drive inefficiencies in private sector action, discourage clean energy procurement, and increase electricity prices.
The statement reads: “We strongly urge the GHGP to improve upon the existing guidance, but not stymie critical electricity decarbonisation investments by mandating a change that fundamentally threatens participation in this voluntary market, which acts as the linchpin in decarbonization across nearly all sectors of the economy.”
Similar concerns were raised by renewable energy providers and carbon accounting experts, including some within the GHGP’s Scope 2 technical Working Group, during the public consultation on the Scope 2 guidance.
The 66 signatories include a range of companies (including Amazon, FedEX, Salesforce, and Apple), as well as carbon accounting experts and clean energy providers.
Combined, these organisations have $4.7tr in annual revenues, 49m employees, and are responsible for procuring, facilitating or producing 300GW of carbon-free electricity projects.