Why the GSF Is Participating in the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Consultation

At the Green Software Foundation, we support software practitioners in reducing carbon emissions through informed choices and deliberate action. That’s why we’re participating in the GHG Protocol’s Scope 2 consultation—to influence carbon accounting standards that help lower emissions in practice. 

#What We’ve Learned from Developing the SCI Standard

We developed the Software Carbon Intensity (SCI) standard to help developers evaluate the emissions impact of their applications and identify concrete reduction strategies. Through this work, we’ve identified three primary ways to lower software’s carbon footprint:

• Energy efficiency: Optimizing how much energy software consumes.
• Hardware efficiency: Making the most of physical computing resources.
• Carbon awareness: Making informed decisions about when and where software runs.

Carbon awareness connects directly to Scope 2 emissions. When software operations shift based on grid carbon intensity at specific times and locations, developers can minimize their environmental impact.

#Why Current Scope 2 Guidance Falls Short

The existing Scope 2 framework relies on annual averages and broad geographic boundaries. While applicable for high-level reporting, these parameters don’t provide the granularity software engineers need to make informed decisions. Real-world grids vary dramatically by hour and location—information that gets lost in averaged data.

For carbon-aware software operations to succeed, we need measurement standards that reflect this temporal and spatial reality.

#Our Position: Physical Connection Matters

The GSF strongly supports clarifying Scope 2 as emissions from generation physically connected to the reporter’s value chain.

This emphasis on physical connection and deliverability ensures that attributional inventories accurately reflect the actual grid mix from which consumed electricity originated. This precision provides the essential baseline for high-fidelity carbon accounting—the foundation for effective reduction strategies. 

#What This Means for Our Community

By contributing to the GHG consultation, the GSF aims to:

1. Align carbon accounting frameworks with practical engineering actions.
2. Advocate for granular, time- and location-sensitive emissions data that enables carbon-aware computing.
3. Ensure future standards support the software industry’s unique ability to reduce emissions through operational flexibility.

We believe carbon accounting should help practitioners take action and make decisions that reduce emissions. Our submission to the GHG Protocol reflects this principle.

#Get Involved

The deadline to submit feedback has been extended to January 31, 2026.

We encourage GSF members to review the consultation materials and consider participating: https://ghgprotocol.org/ghg-protocol-public-consultations

Your contribution helps influence standards that advance industry decarbonization efforts.