The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP) is facing reputational strain as major technology companies lobby hard over revisions to its Scope 2 emissions rules. Scope 2 covers a company’s indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, steam, or cooling. With surging energy use tied to AI and data centers, this accounting category has become a battleground, tells Wired.com.
On one side are companies such as Google and Microsoft, pushing for an “hourly accounting” method, matching electricity use hour-by-hour with clean-energy procurement in the same region. On the other side are firms such as Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Salesforce, backing an “emissions-first” approach that allows broader substitution of renewable energy credits regardless of location or timing.
Critics argue the working group set up by the GHGP lacked balanced representation: key “emissions-first” stakeholders were excluded, raising questions about bias. The resulting tug-of-war has led to both methods being placed into public consultation, but the “emissions-first” variant has been demoted, frustrating its advocates.
Meanwhile, the GHGP’s authority is under pressure. Funding shortfalls (notably a used-up grant from the Bezos Earth Fund) and the risk of major companies abandoning the standard in favor of rival regimes highlight organizational vulnerability. For engineers and sustainability professionals, this matters: whichever standard prevails will shape how data centers are designed, how power-deal structures evolve, and how climate-related metrics are enforced.
In short, what may look like a technical rules-discussion is in fact a strategic showdown over future investment, design of power systems for AI-driven infrastructure, and the credibility of global carbon-accounting frameworks.