The Open Group introduces the Open Footprint Standard 1.0 to unify emissions data, support regulatory compliance and facilitate the adoption of AI-driven sustainability solutions across supply chains.
The Open Group has launched the Open Footprint Standard, Edition 1.0, an open data model it says is designed to bring more consistency to carbon reporting across Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions.
The move comes as companies face mounting pressure to produce emissions figures that are not only complete, but also comparable and auditable across borders, business units and supplier networks. For many industrial groups, the hardest part of carbon accounting is no longer measuring fuel use or electricity consumption, but gathering reliable data from partners, suppliers and logistics chains, then converting it into a format that can be used for regulatory disclosure.
The standard is intended to address that gap by defining emissions data in a way that can be shared more easily across systems and organisations. According to The Open Group, it is meant to support reporting under multiple frameworks, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, California Senate Bill 253 and International Sustainability Standards Board requirements, while also aligning with WBCSD PACT V3, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO standards.
The organisation says the framework is split into two sections: one covering the core requirements of the data model, and another providing a data element dictionary. It is also making JSON schema files available through the Open Footprint Forum to help organisations build database instances around the model.
The launch reflects a wider challenge in industrial decarbonisation: emissions data is often fragmented across procurement systems, enterprise software and spreadsheets, making it difficult to trace numbers back to source material. That problem becomes more acute at Scope 3, which typically covers the bulk of a large manufacturer’s value-chain emissions and is the most difficult category to calculate with confidence.
Steve Nunn, president and chief executive of The Open Group, said there was “an urgent need to streamline emissions data management and reduce the manual effort required to capture data within supply chains, perform data conversion, and report out to various regulators.”
He added that the standard “removes friction and lowers cost”, arguing that it could help organisations spot emissions reduction opportunities as well as simplify reporting.
The group also tied the standard to the growing use of analytics and artificial intelligence in sustainability programmes. Sammy Lakshmanan, co-chair of the Open Footprint Forum, said large enterprises were increasingly looking to extract value from carbon data through modern, integrated architectures, and described the standard as a building block for what he called an “AI-ready carbon management data structure”.
AJ Van de Voort, another co-chair of the forum, said: “Accountability in emissions reporting starts with data integrity.” He added that standardising how emissions information is captured and managed throughout its lifecycle would help provide the traceability and verification that regulators and stakeholders now expect.
For industrial companies facing more demanding disclosure rules, the practical significance of the launch may lie less in the language of standards than in the promise of cleaner data flows. If adopted, a common model could reduce the manual work involved in carbon accounting and make it easier to compare emissions performance across sites, suppliers and jurisdictions.
- https://itbrief.co.nz/story/the-open-group-launches-footprint-standard-for-emissions – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602260814/en/The-Open-Group-Launches-the-Open-Footprint-Standard-Edition-1.0-to-Streamline-Scope-1-2-and-3-Emissions-Management – The Open Group has introduced the Open Footprint Standard, Edition 1.0, an open emissions data model addressing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reporting. This standard aims to assist organisations in collecting, standardising, and reporting emissions data across operations and supply chains, facilitating compliance with various greenhouse gas regulations and frameworks, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, California Senate Bill 253, and International Sustainability Standards Board requirements. The model offers standardised emissions data definitions and relationships to enhance data sharing and interoperability across supply chains, aligning with WBCSD PACT V3 Product Carbon Footprints, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and ISO standards. Additionally, the Open Footprint Forum provides JSON schema files to aid organisations in creating database instances using the Open Footprint data model structure.
- https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/scope-1-2-3-emissions – Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are categories used to describe an organisation’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on their point of origin. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), an internationally recognised standard, created the three scopes to provide a full picture of a business or organisation’s environmental impact. Scope 1 emissions are those created directly by the company. Scope 2 emissions are indirectly created through purchased energy. Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain. Categorising GHG emissions helps companies identify the origin of their emissions and then effective strategies to reduce them. It also allows for benchmarking and comparison across industries and sectors, fostering transparency and accountability in corporate sustainability efforts.
- https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance?topic=building-operations – Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse (GHG) emissions that occur from sources that are controlled or owned by an organisation (e.g., emissions associated with fuel combustion in boilers, furnaces, vehicles). Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Although scope 2 emissions physically occur at the facility where they are generated, they are accounted for in an organisation’s GHG inventory because they are a result of the organisation’s energy use.
- https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/feature/Scope-1-2-and-3-emissions-Differences-with-examples – The Greenhouse Gas Protocol has a widely used collection of comprehensive information on calculating emissions. Calculating Scope 1 emissions requires assessing emission sources and then using one of two methods to determine emissions: direct measurement via monitoring concentration and flow rates, or the fuel analysis method based on the purchased quantities of commercial fuels and associated emission factors. Organisations typically use metered consumption and supplier-provided emissions data to calculate Scope 2 emissions. The GHG Protocol requires organisations to use market-based and location-based reporting methods to calculate and disclose Scope 2 emissions. Calculating Scope 3 emissions is the most complex of the categories due to the numerous emissions sources covered by Scope 3.
- https://www.brightest.io/scope-1-2-3-emissions – Carbon and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are categorised into three scopes by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the international standard for carbon accounting. In most parts of the world, when a company needs to report its carbon footprint to regulators, ESG investors, or standards organisations, it categorises and shares its emissions data divided into Scope 1, 2, and 3: Scope 1 direct emissions count carbon from buildings, facilities, and vehicles the company owns; Scope 2 indirect emissions include carbon from purchased electricity, heat, steam, and cooling that comes from an electrical utility or municipal source; Scope 3 indirect emissions are all the other indirect emissions that come from a company’s value or supply chain, including things like waste, shipping products, or product usage by customers.
- https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/esg-carbon-emissions – The GHG protocol has three scopes: Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions. Direct emissions are from sources that are owned by a company and can include: Emissions from fleet vehicles; Emissions from stationary sources like incinerators, furnaces, or boilers; Manufacturing or processing emissions; Chemical emissions; Fugitive emissions, like methane from coal mines or electricity from burning coal. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions. Indirect emissions are released from purchased energy, e.g., electricity, steam, heating, and cooling. The actual emission is often produced at another facility, resulting from the company’s consumption. Scope 3 emissions are further indirect emissions that are outside of the organisation’s control but still a result of the organisation’s operations, employees, and purchases. Scope 3 emissions are categorised as upstream and downstream and further broken down into 15 categories.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The article reports on The Open Group’s recent launch of the Open Footprint Standard, Edition 1.0, dated June 2, 2026. This aligns with the publication date of the press release from Business Wire, confirming the freshness of the information. ([businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602260814/en/The-Open-Group-Launches-the-Open-Footprint-Standard-Edition-1.0-to-Streamline-Scope-1-2-and-3-Emissions-Management?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from Steve Nunn, President and CEO of The Open Group, and other officials. These quotes are consistent with those found in the Business Wire press release. ([businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602260814/en/The-Open-Group-Launches-the-Open-Footprint-Standard-Edition-1.0-to-Streamline-Scope-1-2-and-3-Emissions-Management?utm_source=openai)) However, the absence of independent verification of these quotes raises some concerns about their authenticity.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The primary source is a press release from Business Wire, a reputable distribution service. However, the article’s reliance on this single source without additional independent reporting or verification reduces its overall reliability.
Plausibility check
Score:
9
Notes:
The claims about the Open Footprint Standard’s features and objectives are plausible and align with known industry challenges in emissions reporting. However, the lack of independent verification of these claims introduces some uncertainty.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article reports on The Open Group’s recent launch of the Open Footprint Standard, Edition 1.0, dated June 2, 2026. While the information is fresh and the content type is appropriate, the article’s heavy reliance on a single press release without independent verification raises concerns about its reliability and objectivity. The absence of additional sources or independent reporting diminishes the overall credibility of the article.
