Features of market-based accounting approaches of indirect energy GHG emissions

In the context of the climate change agenda, many companies set targets to reduce their carbon footprint and declare progress in achieving them in their non-financial reporting and corporate inventory of direct and indirect energy GHG emissions. The complexity of managing the latter is due to the fact that electricity consumed from the unified energy system cannot be attributed to its producer. To ensure the possibility of voluntarily choosing a specific energy supplier, there is a market-based approach when companies can purchase certificates of energy origin and take them into account when inventorying their indirect energy greenhouse gas emissions. The use of this method for Russia has become especially relevant after the launch of a full-fledged system for the circulation of certificates of electricity origin in 2024. The objective of this paper is to present the findings of a comprehensive analysis of international experience in applying the market-based approach and provide proposals for its improvement. The theoretical framework is based on foreign studies and analytical materials on the topic of corporate accounting of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The author identifies the problematic aspects of applying the market-based approach including goal-setting and meeting the criterion of additionality. Taking these aspects into account, the paper proposes a conceptual approach to accounting for certificates of energy origin within the corporate greenhouse gas emissions inventory by the corporate sector and regulatory authorities.