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Definition

GHG verification

GHG verification is an independent evaluation of a greenhouse gas statement against stated criteria to determine whether the reported historical emissions information is materially correct.

What is GHG verification?

GHG verification independently checks historical emissions against named rules. The work names the statement, boundary, period and assurance level, meaning the intended confidence, then ends with a verification statement or assurance conclusion.

Why does GHG verification matter to you?

A customer or platform may ask whether an outside party checked your emissions. CDP 2026 questions 7.9 to 7.9.2 ask for verification or assurance status and details. Microsoft's 2025 supplier requirements include independent assurance options for total-company and service-level emissions.

How does GHG verification work?

Agree the inventory boundary, scopes, sites, period, checking rules and assurance level. Give the verifier your source records, factor register, calculation file and change log. The verifier traces figures to records, recalculates selected lines, checks omissions and follows corrections into the final statement.

What mistakes should you avoid?

  • Calling an internal review or consultant calculation independent verification.
  • Submitting a statement that omits the period, boundary, criteria, assurance level or conclusion.
  • Assuming verification covers sites, scopes or figures that the statement does not name.

Is GHG verification the same as a consultant letter?

No. A consultant letter can describe calculation or documentation support. Verification requires an independent assessment under stated criteria. Read the consultant-letter and independent-assurance distinction before choosing a provider.

What should you send when a customer asks for GHG verification?

Send the signed verification statement and the exact GHG statement it covers. Check that the company, period, boundary, rules, assurance level and emissions values match. Do not send an unchecked inventory.

Example

Hypothetical example: Suppose a logistics and freight forwarder in Indonesia reports 2,400 tCO2e for 2026 across three warehouses and its owned trucks. During independent verification, a sample test finds an omitted, already-calculated fuel line of 72 tCO2e.

The company corrects the statement to 2,400 + 72 = 2,472 tCO2e. The change is 72 / 2,400 x 100 = 3.0%. The verifier evaluates that correction against the agreed criteria and assurance level before issuing any conclusion. The arithmetic alone does not make the inventory verified.

Where it comes up

Related terms

Sources

  • International Organization for Standardization

    ISO 14064-3:2019 requirements and guidance for verifying and validating organization, project and product GHG statements

    2026-08-20

  • CDP

    2026 full questionnaire questions 7.9 to 7.9.2 and SME question 20.8 on reported-emissions verification or assurance status

    2026-08-20

  • Microsoft

    Independent assurance options, provider requirements and letter contents for total-company and service-level emissions

    2026-08-20

Last verified 2026-08-20

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GHG verification Definition | Keslio