GHG Protocol launched new Standard for Land Sector and Removals

What the New GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Standard Means for Companies

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has released the Land Sector and Removals Standard (LSR Standard), its first standard dedicated to greenhouse gas accounting for land-related emissions and CO₂ removals. This is a big step for any company that depends on land, agriculture, forests, or carbon removal technologies to meet climate targets.

What the LSR Standard Covers

The LSR Standard gives companies clear rules and methods to:

• Quantify land-sector emissionsThis includes emissions from agriculture, forestry, land-use change, and other land-based activities.

• Account for CO₂ removals from landFor example, carbon stored in forests, soils, and other ecosystems, as long as it meets the Standard’s quality and durability criteria.

• Report technological CO₂ removalsThe Standard also covers engineered solutions, such as:

  • Direct air capture with storage

  • CO₂ capture with geologic storage

    and other technologies that permanently store carbon.

    
    

Why This Standard Matters

Until now, many companies used different methods to count land emissions and removals, making it hard to compare results or trust claims. The LSR Standard:

• Aligns methods across companies, so reporting is more consistent and comparable.

• Clarifies what “high-quality” removals look like, including durability, additionality, and risk of reversal.

• Helps companies track progress over time, by setting rules for monitoring and updating land-sector data.

• Supports credible net-zero and climate targets, by defining how removals can be used alongside emissions reductions.

  
  

What Companies Are Expected to Do

Under the LSR Standard, companies are expected to:

• Identify all relevant land-sector activities in their value chain.

• Apply consistent accounting methods to both emissions and removals.

• Disclose key assumptions and methods, so stakeholders can understand and evaluate reported numbers.

• Separate reductions from removals in their reporting, instead of blending them into a single figure.

  
  

How This Connects to Our Work

For organizations working with land-based climate solutions and carbon standards, the LSR Standard:

• Provides a common language for reporting land emissions and removals.

• Raises the bar for transparency and integrity in carbon accounting.

• Helps ensure that land-based and technological removals are used in a way that supports real, long-term climate progress.

As companies start to apply the LSR Standard, we can expect more consistent, comparable, and credible reporting on how land and removals contribute to their climate strategies.

Check the info page of the ne standard for more info https://ghgprotocol.org/blog/land-sector-and-removals-standard-what-you-need-know