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MetricClimate change

Avoided emissions from energy projects or actions

Measurement answer

What this metric measures

Reports estimated grid or generation emissions avoided by a specified energy project or action, separately from Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 totals.

Specification

Metric specification

Result format
Structured table
Unit
Structured table — field-level units: Structured table — see field-level emissions units
Reporting basis
Not specified in the cited guidance
Aggregation
Do not aggregate incompatible baselines, counterfactuals, boundaries, horizons or attribution methods.
Pillar
Environmental
Topic
Climate change
Controlled domain
Climate and greenhouse gases
Entity type
Metric

Reporting boundary

Energy project or action evaluated under a named avoided-emissions method outside the organizational GHG inventory.

Verified source occurrences

Framework coverage

This is one canonical metric. The bindings below show every verified framework occurrence without creating duplicate metric pages. Edition, disclosure, role, and relationship remain source-specific.

  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    Source evidence
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Defines Measurement
    Mapping outcome
    Direct Evidence
    Source locator
    Page 65, section 7.4.2 Gross/net reporting | Page 63, Section 7.3, Avoided emissions estimation | Page 30, paragraph preceding section 4.3 | Page 54, Section 6.9
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    31d62bdf8427d8cddf6e
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Maps Source Identity
    Mapping outcome
    Published
    Source locator
    page 63, Section 7.3, Avoided emissions estimation | Page 63, Section 7.3, Avoided emissions estimation
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    5ef9fff2e1f7d9039936
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Maps Source Identity
    Mapping outcome
    Published
    Source locator
    Page 54, section 6.9 | Page 54, Section 6.9
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    89122a1960383001f4d3
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Maps Source Identity
    Mapping outcome
    Published
    Source locator
    Page 65, section 7.4.2 Gross/net reporting
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    f57f1ca355582de21b28
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Maps Source Identity
    Mapping outcome
    Published
    Source locator
    page 30, paragraph preceding section 4.3 | Page 30, paragraph preceding section 4.3
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    10dde8d1-4424-44d8-80d0-c2819f155751
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    Current-in-force package: November 2005 with 2006/2007 supplements
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Reuses Canonical Metric
    Mapping outcome
    Reused
    Source locator
    Section 1.5
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    3e17c372-f379-4e65-94ab-99d7157e39f2
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    Current-in-force package: November 2005 with 2006/2007 supplements
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Reuses Canonical Metric
    Mapping outcome
    Reused
    Source locator
    Page 6
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    5e0f79de-0819-47a9-b703-90ab31c53d54
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    Current-in-force package: November 2005 with 2006/2007 supplements
    Requirement
    Not Specified
    Relationship
    Reuses Canonical Metric
    Mapping outcome
    Reused
    Source locator
    PDF pages 26-27, Part II introduction and Chapter 12 accounting step
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    b3c87372-607a-4483-8c4c-c0eb0f67801f
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    Current-in-force package: November 2005 with 2006/2007 supplements
    Requirement
    Conditional
    Relationship
    Reuses Canonical Metric
    Mapping outcome
    Reused
    Source locator
    Guidelines for Quantifying GHG Reductions from Grid-Connected Electricity Projects (August 2007), PDF pages 1-3
    Open official framework source
  • Measurement Authority

    GHG Protocol

    cf33e866-adb6-4894-b592-446f428b7985
    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    Current-in-force package: November 2005 with 2006/2007 supplements
    Requirement
    Conditional
    Relationship
    Reuses Canonical Metric
    Mapping outcome
    Reused
    Source locator
    Guidelines for Quantifying GHG Reductions from Grid-Connected Electricity Projects (August 2007), PDF pages 1-3
    Open official framework source

Value structure

Dimensions and units

Unit
Structured table — field-level units: Structured table — see field-level emissions units
Reporting basis
Not specified in the cited guidance

Unit meaning: Each table field uses its stated unit. Each estimate retains its emissions unit, baseline, counterfactual, project boundary and time horizon.

Table fields and units

  • Project or action
  • Avoided-emissions estimate
  • Unit
  • Baseline and counterfactual
  • Method, period and boundary

Published dimensions

  • generation source
  • avoided-emissions estimate
  • reporting status outside Scope 2 totals
  • project or action
  • avoided-GHG-emissions estimate
  • reporting status outside Scope totals
  • energy generation project
  • avoided grid-emissions estimate
  • project-level accounting method
  • Scope 2 inventory treatment
  • Low-carbon energy activity type: generation or use
  • Grid location or affected grid, where applicable
  • Displaced generation or baseline assumption
  • Calculation method and emissions factors used

Disclosure method

Formula information

Status
Not applicable
Formula type
Structured Disclosure

Disclosure form

No single formula

Use the named project method and disclose baseline, counterfactual, boundary, unit and time horizon; never net the result against scope totals.

Verified sources

Evidence and status sources

Sustopedia checked each record-specific claim directly against primary publisher material. Labels distinguish current measurement authority from future compatibility and corroborative, legal, edition, or method status context. Corroborative evidence can support a stated limitation but cannot establish the core measurement by itself.

Measurement evidence

  • Measurement evidenceChecked 26 August 2026

    GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance

    Publisher
    GHG Protocol
    Edition
    2015 publication
    Locator
    Page 65, section 7.4.2 Gross/net reporting | Page 63, Section 7.3, Avoided emissions estimation | Page 30, paragraph preceding section 4.3 | Page 54, Section 6.9

    Supports: The official GHG Protocol source supports the identity, boundary and method basis of “Avoided emissions from energy projects or actions”.

    Open official source

Use with context

Interpretation boundaries

Method disclosures required

Source-edition basis: GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance, 2015 publication.

  • Identify the generation source to which the avoided-emissions estimate is attributed.
  • Disclose the estimate separately from Scope 2 totals.
  • Describe the method used to attribute emission reductions to the disclosed generation source.
  • Identify the project or action producing the avoided-emissions estimate.
  • Disclose that the estimate is reported separately from Scope totals.
  • Describe the estimation approach used for the avoided GHG emissions estimate.
  • Identify the energy generation project producing the avoided grid-emissions estimate.
  • Disclose that the value is outside Scope 2 accounting boundaries and totals.
  • Describe the project-level accounting method used to estimate avoided grid emissions.
  • Report the estimate separately from the standard scope emissions inventory.
  • Describe the low-carbon energy generation or use activity underlying the estimate.
  • Disclose the basis for estimating displaced grid emissions, including relevant grid, baseline, displacement, and emissions-factor assumptions.
  • State that the reported amount represents avoided grid emissions rather than inventory emissions.

Record-specific limitations

  • The avoided-emissions amount is not part of the organization's Scope 2 inventory total.
  • The cited guidance does not prescribe a single calculation method, baseline, unit, or aggregation approach for this disclosure.
  • The stated unit is illustrative rather than a mandatory reporting unit.
  • The estimate is outside Scope totals and must not be presented as an inventory emission reduction within Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3 totals.
  • The cited guidance does not specify a required unit, baseline, calculation formula, or aggregation method.
  • Comparability depends on the project- or action-level estimation method disclosed by the reporting organization.
  • Avoided grid emissions must not be used for Scope 2 accounting.
  • The estimate is outside Scope 2 boundaries and totals.
  • The cited guidance requires use of project-level accounting methods but does not prescribe a unit, baseline, formula, or aggregation method.
  • Avoided grid emissions are estimated consequential effects and are not Scope 1, Scope 2, or Scope 3 inventory emissions.
  • The guidance does not prescribe a single calculation formula, unit, grid baseline, attribution approach, or displacement assumption.
  • Results depend on the assumptions used to determine the grid emissions displaced by low-carbon energy generation or use.

Interpret this metric with the stated reporting boundary, period convention, value shape, and unit. Results prepared with different boundaries or conventions may not be directly comparable.

Measurement evidence supports the core record-specific claims described above. Corroborative evidence can support limitations, while compatibility and status sources provide their separately labelled context. None of these cards by itself determines an organisation's legal applicability, filing readiness, assurance status, or compliance conclusion.