Electricity Maps has officially secured an independent Letter of Assurance from SGS, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification. Read the Letter of Assurance.

Following a comprehensive, two-stage evaluation of our software methodology, data ingestion pipeline, flow-tracing models, and engineering governance controls, SGS confirmed that Electricity Maps data aligns with major international reporting frameworks, including the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Scope 2 Guidance and ISO 14064-1.

For corporate sustainability leaders, enterprise software partners, and ESG reporting managers, this assurance offers formal verification that the grid intensity signals powering your calculations are mathematically rigorous, defensible, and audit-ready.

The Core Challenge: Why Audited Electricity Data Is Essential

As carbon accounting transitions from voluntary sustainability pledges to legally binding disclosures, driven by frameworks like the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), new U.S. state and local regulations, and updates to the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance, the bar for data quality has never been higher.

Historically, organizations relied on static, national-annual electricity averages published months or years after the fact. Today, companies are shifting toward location-based hourly tracking, dynamic grid flow-tracing, and 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) matching. However, this increased sophistication introduces new accounting risks:

• Greenwashing and Liability Risk: Using unverified carbon intensity factors creates audit risk during financial and sustainability reviews, exposing firms to regulatory penalties and reputational damage.
  
  

• Double-Counting Boundaries: Misapplying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) emission factors to Scope 2 calculations introduces non-compliant supply chain emissions into direct operational inventories, violating GHG Protocol boundary rules.
  
  

• Lack of Data Lineage: Enterprise software buyers and financial auditors require proof that data pipeline updates, gap-filling estimation algorithms, and emission factor selections follow transparent, repeatable governance rather than unverified operator choices.

To eliminate these risks, enterprise sustainability teams need a data foundation that has been independently verified by a trusted third party.

Scope of Coverage: What the Assurance Validates

The SGS assurance engagement evaluated the Electricity Maps core methodology, focusing on three foundational layers of our data engine:

1. Foundational Electricity Mix & Flow-Tracing Signals

The evaluation verified our physical flow-tracing methodology, which calculates real-time electricity consumption mixes across interconnected grids. The audit confirmed that our flow-traced electricity mix, Carbon-Free Energy Percentage (CFE%), and Renewable Energy Percentage (RE%) signals reliably account for cross-border physical electricity trades without mathematical distortion.

2. Emission Factor Selection & Methodological Guardrails

The audit verified our dual-track emission factor architecture, validating the boundaries between direct operational and full life cycle metrics:

• Direct Emission Factors: Quantify combustion emissions occurring at the power plant stack (gCO2e/kWh), serving as the accurate foundation for standard GHG Protocol Scope 2 location-based reporting and ISO 14064-1 Category 2 (Imported Energy).
  
  

• Lifecycle Emission Factors: Incorporate upstream and downstream supply-chain activities (fuel extraction, transport, and infrastructure development). The audit validated our boundary mapping, confirming that subtracting the Direct value from the Lifecycle value allows entities to isolate the upstream delta for Scope 3 Category 3 (Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities) and ISO 14064-1 Category 4 disclosures without double-counting under Scope 2.

3. Data Integrity, Estimation Models, and Software Governance

Beyond mathematical formulas, SGS reviewed our operational data pipeline:

• Estimation Models: Verified the statistical logic and performance metrics used to fill data gaps when real-time balancing authority feeds are delayed or incomplete.
  
  

• Software Change Management: Confirmed that updates to our emission factors, calculation algorithms, or pipeline logic are governed by strict internal controls.

What This Means for Electricity Maps Customers and Partners

• Accelerated Audit Cycles: You can share our formal SGS Assurance Declaration directly with your third-party financial and ESG auditors, simplifying verification for annual Scope 2 and Scope 3 disclosures.
  
  

• Defensible 24/7 CFE & Hourly Matching: Organizations executing hourly matching strategies can prove that their matching data is backed by audited, flow-traced grid calculations.
  
  

• Built-In Compliance Safeguards: Clear distinctions between direct and life cycle factors ensure your reporting teams avoid double-counting across categories.

Looking Ahead

As energy grids become more dynamic and reporting standards continue to evolve, Electricity Maps remains committed to offering the market's most transparent, scientifically grounded climate data. Securing independent assurance from SGS is an important step in that ongoing commitment.

You can explore our updated Methodology Whitepaper or contact our team to learn more about incorporating audited carbon intensity data into your sustainability stack.