Much of corporate renewable energy carbon accounting today relies on an analytical technique that the Greenhouse Gas Protocol identifies as a significant simplifying assumption. However, a simple example demonstrates that this widely used accounting practice can mismeasure carbon savings by as much as 45 percent. Recent advances in estimating the emissions avoided through renewable energy generation have made far more accurate accounting both practical and accessible. Improving emissions accounting offers both environmental and financial benefits by identifying the locations that offset the greatest amount of carbon, allowing them to attract greater investment and maximize the impact of renewable energy development.
