Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement, Reporting and Verification in Australia and New Zealand - Part 1

Climate change is one of the most critical environmental challenges facing businesses today. Mandatory climate disclosures are now in effect across Australia and New Zealand under the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) and the Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards (NZ CS). Investor scrutiny is increasing, stakeholder expectations are rising and climate considerations are now embedded within ISO management system standards.

Understanding, measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate-related impacts has become a critical component of good corporate governance, and increasingly a requirement in large contract tenders.

We support organizations in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in quantifying, reporting and independently verifying their GHG emissions, helping them meet regulatory obligations, strengthen credibility and build resilient, future‑ready sustainability strategies.

Organizations cannot manage what they do not measure and they cannot demonstrate progress without first establishing a baseline. Navigating greenhouse gas reporting can be challenging, with a wide range of technical terms, frameworks and reporting requirements to understand. In this article series, we explore the fundamentals of GHG accounting, reporting and verification: what they are, why they matter and how organizations can get started.

If you come across any unfamiliar terminology, refer to our Glossary of Sustainability terms Resource.

What are greenhouse gases?

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) trap heat in the atmosphere, creating the natural greenhouse effect that keeps the planet at a livable temperature. Human activities release additional greenhouse gases, adding further layers of insulation and causing global temperatures to rise.

The main GHGs reported by organizations include:

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• Methane (CH₄)
• Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
• Fluorinated gases (such as HFCs and SF₆)

Carbon dioxide is the most commonly reported of these gases. For ease of comparison and communication, all greenhouse gases are converted into a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) figure. This forms an organization’s carbon footprint, which can be measured at organizational, facility, project or product level. In the context of emissions, the terms carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions are often used interchangeably.

Why should organizations disclose GHG emissions?

Quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions has become important for strategic, regulatory and commercial reasons.

Getting started with GHG reporting

Understanding what greenhouse gases are and why emissions reporting matters is the first step in an organization's climate journey. Whether reporting is driven by regulatory requirements, customer expectations, investor demands or internal sustainability goals, credible emissions data provides the foundation for informed decision-making and effective climate action.

For many organizations, the challenge is not understanding the importance of emissions reporting, but knowing where to start. Common questions include which emissions should be included, what data needs to be collected and which reporting framework should be used.

In the second article of this series, we'll explore how organizations can calculate their carbon footprint, understand Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and build a greenhouse gas inventory aligned with internationally recognized standards. We also examine the role of independent verification in ensuring reported emissions data is accurate, transparent and credible.

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How we can support you

As the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, we help organizations across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea navigate the increasingly complex landscape of greenhouse gas measurement, reporting and climate disclosure. We developed our specialist GHG verification and advisory services following the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, and have since supported organizations of all sizes, from SMEs to large multinational corporations, in building credible and effective climate action programs.

We support organizations with:

• GHG and carbon accounting and verification
• Climate-related reporting advisory, including ASRS and NZ CS
• ISO 14064, ISO 14067 and ISO 14068-1 verification
• Net zero and decarbonization strategy development
• Science-based target setting and decarbonization planning
• Carbon credit project validation and verification (Verra VCS)

For further information, please contact:

Dora Mindakis
Sustainability Commercial and Account Manager
t: + 61 483 334 647