Fundamentals
Scope 1 & 2 GHG Emissions
Measuring and reporting direct and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions
About this course
Why this course exists
A practical course on Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG accounting under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and Scope 2 Guidance. Covers accounting principles, boundary-setting, direct emissions from combustion and fugitive sources, the location-based and market-based methods for Scope 2, emission factors, inventory quality, reporting, verification, and target-setting - with worked examples, common mistakes, and real-world context throughout.
What you will learn
After this course you will be able to
- Set defensible organizational and operational boundaries for a corporate inventory
- Calculate Scope 1 emissions from stationary combustion, mobile combustion, and process sources
- Calculate Scope 2 emissions using both location-based and market-based methods
- Produce a Scope 1 and 2 number an internal auditor or external assurance team will accept
Course content
4 modules · 13 lessons
Walk through the modules in order or jump to a specific lesson. Each lesson is a real chapter you can open and start reading immediately.
Module 1·3 lessons
GHG Accounting Foundations
The GHG Protocol, principles, and boundary decisions
- 0.16 min read
What Is the GHG Protocol and Why It Matters
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Introduction (pp. 2-5); Chapter 2 (pp. 10-15)
- 0.26 min read
The Five Accounting Principles
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapter 1 (pp. 6-9)
- 0.39 min read
Setting Boundaries: Organisational and Operational
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapter 3 (pp. 16-23); Chapter 4 (pp. 24-33)
Module 2·3 lessons
Scope 1: Direct Emissions
Combustion, fugitives, and the data you actually collect
- 1.16 min read
Stationary Combustion: Boilers, Furnaces & Fuel Bills
stationaryemissions.pdf, Sections 1-3
- 1.29 min read
Mobile Combustion & Fugitive Emissions
mobileemissions.pdf, Sections 1-4; fugitiveemissions.pdf, Sections 1-3
- 1.39 min read
Data Quality, Common Errors & Your Scope 1 Checklist
stationaryemissions.pdf, Sections 4-7; ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapter 6 (pp. 40-47)
Module 3·3 lessons
Scope 2: Purchased Energy
Grid electricity, certificates, and the dual reporting rule
- 2.18 min read
Scope 2: What Counts & the Dual Reporting Rule
Scope 2 Guidance.pdf, Chapters 1-2 (pp. 4-19); Chapter 4 (pp. 24-31); Chapter 5 (pp. 32-41)
- 2.28 min read
Calculating Scope 2: Step by Step
Scope 2 Guidance.pdf, Chapter 6 (pp. 42-57); electricityemissions.pdf, Sections 1-3
- 2.39 min read
Certificates, Quality Criteria & What to Disclose
Scope 2 Guidance.pdf, Chapters 7-8 (pp. 58-73); Chapter 10 (pp. 78-87)
Module 4·4 lessons
Putting It Together
Base years, reporting, verification, targets, and the practitioner playbook
- 3.17 min read
Base Year, Recalculation & Tracking Over Time
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapter 5 (pp. 34-39); Scope 2 Guidance.pdf, Chapter 9 (pp. 74-77)
- 3.28 min read
Inventory Quality, Reporting & Verification
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapters 7, 9, 10 (pp. 48-73)
- 3.36 min read
Setting Targets & the ISO 14064 Family
ghg-protocol-revised.pdf, Chapter 11 (pp. 74-85); ISO 14064-1:2018
- 3.49 min read
The Practitioner's Scope 1 & 2 Playbook
All sources
Continue your path
This course is part of 1 curated path
Each path is a sequence of five courses designed to take a practitioner from first principles to defensible output. Pick one to see where this course fits.