IN FOCUS: Dominic Waughray on the Transformation of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
What happens when the world’s most widely used carbon accounting rules evolve from a voluntary framework to being crucial regulatory infrastructure? In this episode, host Alexia Kelly sits down with Dominic Waughray, Executive Vice President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Executive Co-Chair of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Dominic maps out the massive institutional transformation currently underway at the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, as carbon data moves directly into the sightlines of CFOs, global regulators, and international standard-setters like the ISSB and ISO.
Highlights from the Discussion:
- Born in Chaos: Dominic reminds us of the protocol's unique DNA, tracing back to the mid-1990s when Dow Chemical, General Motors, and BP sat down with WRI and WBCSD to design the Scope 1, 2, and 3 framework at a moment when nothing else existed.
- The Structural Evolution of the GHG Protocol: A behind-the-scenes look at the professionalization of the protocol, including the creation of an Independent Standards Board, a new steering committee chaired by Geraldine Matchett, and the appointment of Tim Mohin as CEO.
- The Global Regulatory Leap: How the voluntary framework is being hardcoded into mandatory laws, from California's climate legislation to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) alignment across 38 jurisdictions—including China’s 2027 alignment journey.
- The ISO & Global Collaboration Milestone: Celebrating the major alignment launched at COP30 in Brazil, uniting greenhouse gas accounting with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) across 174 countries.
Creators and Guests
Host
Alexia Kelly
Alexia Kelly has worked for more than 18 years at the intersection of policy and finance to address the climate crisis. Alexia is the Managing Director of the Carbon Policy and Markets Initiative (CPMI) at High Tide Foundation. The CPMI accelerates ambitious climate action and capital mobilization through robust rules and guidance for voluntary corporate action and disclosures, and building the next generation of high-integrity carbon and environmental services markets. She currently serves on the Board of the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (IC VCM) and the Board of the Advanced and Indirect Mitigation Initiative, as well as on the Expert Advisory Group of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI). Prior to joining High Tide Foundation, she served as Director of Net Zero + Nature at Netflix, where she led the company’s inaugural greenhouse gas inventory, renewable energy strategy, Science Based Target and global carbon credit portfolio. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Department of State, where she served as lead negotiator to the UNFCCC on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. She has also held senior roles at the World Resources Institute, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, The Climate Trust, and in private equity.
Guest
Dominic Waughray
Dominic Waughray is Executive Vice President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), where he leads the organization's work on climate, nature, and equity. He also serves as Executive Co-Chair of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, helping guide the evolution and governance of the world's most widely used greenhouse gas accounting standards. Before joining WBCSD, Dominic spent more than 15 years as the Managing Director and Member of the Managing Board at the World Economic Forum, where he helped launch some of the most influential sustainability initiatives and partnerships in business.
Producer
Matt Jordan
Matt Jordan is a Director within the High Tide Foundation’s Carbon Policy and Markets Initiative (CPMI). Matt has been working in climate action for more than 15 years, and has a long track record of envisioning, developing and scaling innovative programs and financing tools that deliver lasting global impact. Matt built CLASP’s Clean Energy Access program from a single small project to an integrated portfolio of technical, research, and market stimulation programs with a coherent, issue-defining theory of change and a global team of more than 20. He co-founded Propel Clean Energy Partners, a consulting firm with clients such as the World Resources Institute, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and the Asian Development Bank. Following their acquisition of Propel’s work and team, Matt served as a Director in RMI’s Global South portfolio and led their global clean energy workforce development initiative. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Colgate University, a Master’s in Public Policy Analysis from the University of California, and a Professional Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy from Yale University.
