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Apple among companies objecting to proposed clean energy reporting changes [Update]

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Why This Matters

The proposed revisions to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol's Scope 2 guidance aim to increase the accuracy of corporate emissions reporting by requiring hourly matching of clean energy use within specific grid regions. Major companies like Apple and Amazon oppose these changes, citing concerns that they could hinder transparency and progress in renewable energy adoption. This debate highlights the ongoing challenges in balancing precise emissions accounting with practical implementation in the tech industry and beyond.

Key Takeaways

Update, April 25, 8:41 a.m. ET: Apple reached out to 9to5Mac with more information, which you can find below the original post.

A group of 66 companies and industry organizations, which includes Apple, has issued a joint statement opposing proposed changes to how companies account for clean energy use. Here are the details.

Companies say the proposed changes could backfire

A group of companies, including Amazon, Apple, BYD, eBay, Luxshare, and Salesforce, has issued a public statement against a key change in the rules governing corporate emissions reporting.

These changes are part of a revision process led by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), a widely used framework that defines how companies measure and report their emissions.

The update focuses on its Scope 2 guidance, which covers how companies account for the electricity they purchase and use.

Under the current rules, companies can match their electricity use with clean energy on an annual basis, typically using renewable energy certificates tied to power generated somewhere on the grid during the same year.

From the GHG Protocol proposal:

The proposed revisions recommended by the scope 2 Technical Working Group and approved by the Independent Standards Board to progress to public consultation seek to address the challenges with the status quo by requiring organizations using certificates to match them to consumption hourly, and from deliverable grid regions. This approach is consistent with how power markets settle supply and demand by hour within defined boundaries.

In other words, the proposed changes would require companies to match their electricity use with clean energy on an hourly basis, and from sources located within the same grid or regions that can physically deliver that power.

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