Corporate Greenhouse Gas Disclosure in Brazil: Evidence from ISO 14001, ISO 14064, and the GHG Protocol

Corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure has become an increasingly important mechanism for improving transparency, accountability, and climate governance. Although ISO 14001, ISO 14064, and the GHG Protocol provide complementary approaches to environmental management, greenhouse gas quantification, and reporting, studies integrating these frameworks remain limited, particularly in emerging economies. This study proposes and theoretically substantiates an integrated Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV)-based governance framework and empirically examines organizational characteristics associated with Brazilian companies that voluntarily publish Gold-level GHG inventories under the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining bibliometric analysis, thematic content analysis supported by NVivo, and statistical analyses based on a sample of 92 organizations. The empirical analysis evaluates the association between ISO 14001 certification and selected organizational characteristics, including public listing status, within this homogeneous group of companies recognized for preparing complete and independently verified GHG inventories. The findings indicate a statistically significant association between ISO 14001 certification and public listing status and suggest that robust climate disclosure is supported by complementary governance, measurement, verification, and reporting practices rather than by the isolated adoption of individual standards. The study contributes to the literature by proposing an integrated MRV-based governance framework, providing empirical evidence from the Brazilian context, and offering practical insights for organizations seeking to strengthen the credibility and transparency of corporate climate reporting.