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Assessment and support guide: climate solution providers

Assessing 1.5 °C compatibility, avoided emissions, positive impacts, carbon handprint, mitigation contributions, scope 4

Please note that we do not recommend using Scope 4

OverviewPurpose and scope of the initiatives and toolsDetailed overview of Initiatives and toolsOverview of Opportunities and ChallengesSearch and co-create appropriate initiatives and toolsAbout
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Greenhouse Gas Protocol

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Unique selling point
Objective
Greenhouse Gas Protocol "sets the standards to measure and manage emissions" through standards, tool and educational services
Launch year
1998
N/A
Opportunities score
8
Challenges score
-30
N/A count
4
1.5 °C Compatibility Assessment of tools/initiatives
Opportunities
1
Help establish a dynamic solution perspective
No identified
opportunity, N/A
Potential
opportunity (Value 1)
Some
opportunity (Value 2)
Significant
opportunity (Value 4)
2
Quick and Easy Assessment
3
Identifying acceleration potential for solutions
4
1.5 °C Compatible
5
Need focus for 11 Billion with equity encouragement (Global south agenda)
6
Solutions have Synergies with other sustainability goals
No identified
opportunity, N/A
Potential
opportunity (Value 1)
Some
opportunity (Value 2)
Significant
opportunity (Value 4)
7
+1000 and/or >10 Gigatonnes of potential solutions
8
Aligned with Mission Innovations Net-Zero Innovation Compatibility Initative
9
Focus on clustering of solutions (across existing sectors)
Challenges
1
Lock-in Potential from the solutions
No identified
challenge, N/A
Significant
challenge (Value -4)
Some
challenge (Value -2)
Potential
challenge (Value -1)
2
Supply and End-of-Pipe Focus
3
Excluding Transformative (System) Solutions
4
Only including technology innovations
5
Resource Intensive Solutions
6
Only Focus on Problems rather than Human Needs
7
Excluding other sustainability aspects (biodiversity and poverty)
No identified
challenge, N/A
Significant
challenge (Value -4)
Some
challenge (Value -2)
Potential
challenge (Value -1)
8
No filter to support sustainable solutions for an equitable world with 11 billion
9
Limiting focus to existing/traditional sectors
10
Lack of implementation in global south/no focus on 11 Billion with equity encouragement
11
No focus on clustering of solutions
1.5 °C Compability Assessment comments

Opportiunities
‍1. Help establish a dynamic solution perspective: Focus primarily on reporting and calculating GHG emissions‍
‍2. Quick and Easy Assessment: Main focus‍
‍3. Identifying acceleration potential for solutions: Calculating and understanding emissions for a specific company/innovation can help identifying the potential, however this has not been identified as a focus for the tools
‍4. 1.5 °C Compatible: 5. Need focus for 11 Billion with equity encouragement (Global south agenda): Tools for calculating emissions in China/Mexico
‍6. Solutions have Synergies with other sustainability goals: Understanding and reducing emissions in sectors with significant emissions is likely to have a positive effect on other areas such as biodiversity, however it's not an identified purpose for the tool‍
‍7. + 1000 and/or > 10 Gigatonnes of potential solutions: Not specific numbers identified, however a primary focus is calculating emissions‍
‍8. Aligned with Mission Innovations Net-Zero Innovation Compatibility Initative: Calculating emissiona across sectors, however no focus on human needs or 1.5C compatibility.

Challenges
‍1. Lock-in Potential from the solutions: Among other tools, there are some that focus on Coal power plants and cement production‍
‍2. Supply and End-of-Pipe Focus: Such as tools for calculating stationary combustion‍
‍3. Excluding Transformative (System) Solutions: No focus identified‍
‍4. Only including technology innovations: Among the tools identified, most or all focus on emissions related to technological innovations‍
‍5. Resource Intensive Solutions: Such as calulcating cement and coal power plant emissions
‍6. Only Focus on Problems rather than Human Needs: The tools by GHG protocol seem to focus on high emissions sectors. While a focus on these sectors can result in significant emission reductions, it's also assuming that these sectors simply need to be 'improved' for a sustainable future rather than focusing on human needs
‍7. Excluding other sustainability aspects (biodiversity and poverty): No focus identified
‍9. No filter to support sustainable solutions for an equitable world with 11 billion: Tools focused towards China/Mexico can be interpreted as aiming towards developing countries
12. No focus on clustering of solutionsNo focus on clustering has been identified

Description
1. What the assessment is meant to be used for
1. Identifying solutions
2. Support solutions
3. Strategic decisions
4. Increased positive impact
5. Investor information
6. Market/user information
7. PR/Branding/Offsetting
8. Reporting
9. Other
2. Scope of assessment
1. Avoided Emissions
2. 1.5C Compatibility
3. SDG compatibility
4. Sustainability for 11 Billion Citizens
5. Other compatibility (existential risks, etc)
6. Preselected categories of solutions
7. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
8. Other
3. Stakeholder focus
1. Large companies
2. SMEs/Start-ups
3. Investors
4. Policy makers
5. Other
4. Assessment activities
1. Developing Principles (Offering high-level standards to begin to align stakholders)
2. Assessment & Internal reporting (Organizing common metrics & methodological guidelines)
3. Defining Targets (Defining strategies around specific impact goals, such as net-zero and 1.5C LED compatability)
4. Collecting and disclosing data (Advocating for and/or facilitating data transparency)
5. Standardizing evalualtion (Independent 3rd party evaluation based on publicly available data)
5. Time horizon
1. now
2. 2030
3. 2050
4. Other
6. Methodology
1. Individual LCA/assessment
2. Case studies
3. Macro assessment (solution belonging to specific area)
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Other
7. Approach
1. Reduce problems from existing sectors
2. Delivering new solutions to needs
3 .Could not determine
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. N/A
1. Reduce problems from existing sectors
2. Delivering new solutions to needs
3 .Could not determine
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. N/A
8. State of development
1. Early Beta
2. Working beta/Draft
3. Working (but limited users)
4. Fully working/Published
9. Process
1. Static (just an assessment)
2. Delta (made to help innovations/companies improve)
3. Dynamic (Explore new revenue streams and clusters)
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Other
1. Static (just an assessment)
2. Delta (made to help innovations/companies improve)
3. Dynamic (Explore new revenue streams and clusters)
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Other
10. Assessment unit
1. Individual technologies
2. Individual solutions (economic, leagal, etc)
3. Individual companies/start-ups
4. Clusters of companies/enablers
5. Companies
6. Cities
7. Countries
8. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
9. Other
11. Solution categories
1. All possible solutions
2. Predetermined areas
3. Minimum level of avoided emission
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Other
12. Solution areas
1. Technical
2. Business models
3. Financial
4. Legal
5. PR/Communication
6. Policy/Governance
7. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
8. Other/not specific
13. Process for verifying data
1. Third party
2. Open data
3. No process/nontransparent
4. Other
5. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
6. Not clear/no info provided
14. Data provided by
1. Start-up/company
2. Own data base
3. Other
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Not clear/no info provided
1. Start-up/company
2. Own data base
3. Other
4. Conducting solution assessments is not a focus
5. Not clear/no info provided
15. 1.5 °C pathway focus
1. P1
1. P2
1. P3
1. P4
5. N/A, unknown
Scale of operations
1. Number of impact assessments
2. Total avoided emissions
3. Total number 1.5C compatible assessments
4. Number of users
5a. Other indicator of scale: Total revenue of supported organizations/companies
5 b. Other indicator of scale: Number of countries/ cities/ other worked with
5c. Other indicator of scale: Total amount of assets represented
5d. Other indicator of scale: Other
16a. Number of impact assessments
16b. Total avoided emissions
16c. Total number 1.5 °C compatible assessments
17. Organizations behind

See list of founders in the source provided source

Description comments

What the assessment is meant to be used for‍
7. PR/Branding/Offsetting: While the calculation tools offered by GHG Protocol offers a comprehensive understanding of a users emissions, no guidance/information that relates to changing/improving products or solution to affect their impact has been found
8. Reporting: Reporting (or disclosure) is a main focus

Scope of assessment
‍1. Avoided Emissions:  A framework for how to calculate and report avoided emissions is available
8. Other: Calculation/estimation of existing emission sources for a given product or solution

Stakeholder focus
5. Other: Target stakeholders include companies, organization, cities and countries

Assessment activities
2. Assessment & Internal reporting (Organizing common metrics & methodological guidelines): Provides services for both estimation of stakeholder-related emissions as well as reporting source‍

Time horizon 
‍1. now: Although there is some focus on tracking progress towards reduction goals, the tools that has been identified generally has focus on current emissions and how to manage them

Methodology 
‍1. Individual LCA/assessment: Scope 1-3 emission assessments for specific solutions source‍

Approach 
1. Reduce problems from existing sectors: The purpose of the tool(s) has been identified as either an estimation for users to utilize how they see fit, or for users to track their progress in reducing emissions for their solution source‍

Process
2. Delta (made to help innovations/companies improve): The purpose of the calculation tools available is understood to help improve understanding of the impact of specific solutions

Assessment unit
4. Clusters of companies/enablers: "...helps companies estimate their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on the GHG Protocol." source‍

Solution areas
8. Other/not specific: No specific areas has been identified

‍Process for verifying data
2. Open data: The GHG emissons caluclation tools uses country-specific emission data

Data provided by 
‍1. Start-up/company: Solution specific data (e.g. fuel usage and travel distance for mobility solutions) is provided by the user source

1.5 C Pathway Focus 
5. N/A, unknown: No focus on a specific pathway has been identified, however unlikely to have a significant focus on pathway 1 solutions

Scale of operations
5d. Other indicator of scale: Other: No specific data related to number of users has been identified, but their website states "GHG Protocol supplies the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards." source

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Initial categorisation done by Mission Innovation NCI
Scanned document

This document scan has been made with the Climate Innovation Assessment tool

PR/Branding/Offsetting
Reporting
Avoided Emissions
Other
Companies
PR/Branding/Offsetting
Reporting

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