With companies increasingly calculating their carbon footprint or greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory levels, sustainability executives must decide whether to participate in and report emissions to a third party carbon registry.  Several global and national programs exist. The major players include the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), Carbon Trust Standard, The Climate Registry, and EPA Climate Leaders. We recommend that firms participate in and report to at least one registry. Benefits of disclosure programs vary but include technical assistance, public recognition and peer networking. Enrollment in most programs is free or low cost. The larger cost consideration is the time commitment of reporting every year to each program in its own format. Another consideration is whether to join a program that requires a publicly stated reduction goal. With more than 2,500 companies reporting, CDP has become the de facto GHG global registry, especially for multinational companies. CDP participation rates have increased considerably since the program’s endorsement by Walmart. Reporting companies have wide latitude in what and how they report, and the reporting allows plenty of opportunity for discussion of GHG abatement activities, such as energy efficiency projects. Disclosures to the CDP are usually public, so program participation can be thought of as an extension of your corporate responsibility or environmental report on your website. Initiatives are currently underway to improve comparability of reports across companies.

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