FAQ

The document clarifies the distinctions between corporate-level and product-level greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting. It defines Scope 3 emissions as indirect emissions in a company's value chain and explains how the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard and Product Standard enable businesses to identify 'hot spots' and reduction opportunities. The standards were developed through a multi-stakeholder process involving WRI, WBCSD, and 60 road-testing companies.

• The GHG Protocol distinguishes between three scopes of emissions: Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy), and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions occurring in the value chain, including upstream and downstream).
• While both the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard and the Product Standard use a value chain approach, the former accounts for emissions at the corporate level and the latter at the individual product level. Together with the Corporate Standard, they provide a comprehensive measurement framework.
• Value chain emissions often constitute the largest portion of a company's GHG impact; for example, Kraft Foods found that these emissions exceeded 90 percent of its total emissions.
• The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard is intended for tracking a single company's emissions over time rather than for comparing different companies, as differences in size, structure, or methodology can affect results.
• The standards were developed over three years starting in 2008 by WRI and WBCSD, involving a 25-member Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups with over 207 members, and a Stakeholder Advisory Group of more than 2,300 participants.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). FAQ. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/pdf/ghgp_launch_faq_2011.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. FAQ. n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/pdf/ghgp_launch_faq_2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=FAQ |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/pdf/ghgp_launch_faq_2011.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendfaq, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{FAQ}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/pdf/ghgp_launch_faq_2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }