Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs

The guide outlines a four-step process for establishing mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting programs: determining objectives, creating an enabling environment, determining structure and requirements, and conducting reviews. It identifies six key design elements—coverage, calculation methodologies, reporting requirements, platforms/disclosure, verification, and enforcement—to ensure data reliability and transparency. While focused on mandatory programs, the guidance is also applicable to voluntary reporting frameworks.

• Establishing a mandatory greenhouse gas reporting program requires four broad steps: determining program objectives, creating an enabling environment for design and implementation, determining program structure and requirements, and conducting a program review.
• The structure of reporting programs is defined by six key design elements intended to ensure data completeness, consistency, transparency, accuracy, and reliability: defining coverage (entities, sources, and GHGs), providing calculation methodologies and monitoring requirements, determining reporting schedules and requirements, developing platforms and disclosure rules, deciding on verification procedures, and establishing enforcement rules for noncompliance.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs. https://www.wri.org/research/guide-designing-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-reporting-programs

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/guide-designing-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-reporting-programs.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs |url=https://www.wri.org/research/guide-designing-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-reporting-programs |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendguide, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/guide-designing-mandatory-greenhouse-gas-reporting-programs}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }