Session 1: Official statistics and Greenhouse gas inventories

Conference of EuropeanStatisticiansTask force on Climate change relatedstatisticsMeeting 8-9 October 2013, Geneva Session 1: Official statistics and Greenhouse gas inventories

Structure of session • Task force recommendations in brief • Discussant's comments and questions for meeting participants • Open discussion from the floor • Session summary Focus = Recommendations section 4.1 Main messages and the reasoning of Chapter 2 are nicely encapsulated in these Recommendations.

General messages Four groups of actors in GHG inventories: • statisticians (NSOs) • inventory compilers (ministry, agency, etc.) • inventory reviewers (UNFCCC, IPCC) • Climate change analysts. Involvement NSOs in inventory compileration varies considerably across countries (provide basic data, compilation, submission). All actors gain from better cooperation, to improve quality inventories, at less cost.

1. NSOs must improve data and statistics for GHG inventories • Currently, existing NSOs’ statistics are not used to their full potential for emission inventories and some duplication of data collection exists. NSOs should be more aware of how their data are, or could be, used in the inventories to be able to take into account the related data needs. Annual Inventory Review Reports would be an important source of information for NSOs to identify national data improvement needs

1. NSOs must improve data and statistics for GHG inventories • NSOs should take the initiative in improving coherence of emission inventories and official statistics where possible. NSOs, together with other involved agencies, should consider the possibilities for simplifying the calculation process to use existing data as much as possible. This in turn could improve the quality of GHG estimates and consistency with other statistics. Communicating data on emissions should be improved by clarifying the contents of emission classes in the Common Reporting Format (CRF) and providing information of GHG gases according to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC/NACE).

1. NSOs must improve data and statistics for GHG inventories • In particular, emphasis should be put on improving the quality of energy statistics where NSOs are an important data provider. Given the importance of good quality energy balances, energy balance compilers (whether NSOs or other bodies) should aim to improve the quality of the energy statistics and energy balances reported internationally whilst helping to ensure the consistency of activity data reported in GHG inventories with the energy balances reported to international organizations (e.g. to Eurostat and International Energy Agency (IEA));

1. NSOs must improve data and statistics for GHG inventories • Several countries need to improve data on waste, land use, the production of heat and electricity for own use and on renewable energy sources. Policy interest exists for data on ”off-shored” emissions and GHG emissions linked to economic sectors.

1. NSOs must improve data and statistics for GHG inventories • GHG inventories would benefit from improved timeliness of activity data. More timely provision of finalized energy balances to GHG inventory compilers would also be useful. In some cases, the length of time series is not sufficient for analysing the inventories, such as the drivers of emissions. The inventories require the use of detailed data. Thus access to sufficiently disaggregated source data continues to be an issue. Data confidentiality often prevents inventory compilers from full access to the needed data.

2. NSOs should be considered as official institutions in GHG inventories • Considering that NSOs provide a considerable portion of the statistics required for GHG inventories, NSOs should be given a clear role in providing statistics, assisting in calculations as needed and assisting with quality assurance. This should be established gradually through official agreements, for example by including NSOs in the national systems responsible for GHG inventories. This could be done simply by explicitly noting the role of the NSO in the inventory documentation submitted to the UNFCCC or more formally via a Memorandum of Understanding between the NSO and the national entity responsible for the inventory. This would provide certainty about the roles and responsibilities of each institution, and closer co-operation would help improve the quality of GHG inventories.

2. NSOs should be considered as official institutions in GHG inventories • National legislation should be reviewed to ensure that it facilitates effective cooperation between agencies belonging to the national emission inventory system and provide a legal basis for clear division of work and exchange of data as required for the inventories. The legislation should be in accordance with the national statistical law.

2. NSOs should be considered as official institutions in GHG inventories • NSOs need to work with the inventory compilers to identify and evaluate NSOs statistics needed for emission inventories to see if they are fit-for-purpose. Changes to NSO data availability or collections systems should be considered first where effective changes can be made. To this end, NSOs and inventory compilers should review the existing reporting systems for emission inventories to identify overlaps and areas for synergies, and to make use of the data available from the statistical system. The aim would be to reduce costs, avoid duplicate data reporting and move towards multipurpose data systems serving various user needs.

2. NSOs should be considered as official institutions in GHG inventories • The experience of NSOs in quality assurance would be useful in supporting the efforts at strengthening the quality of GHG inventory data. In particular, NSOs could be more involved in applying the “measureable, reportable and verifiable” approach to review the quality of data underpinning the inventories. NSOs should strengthen the quality assurance and quality control of activity data across all of the sectors reported in GHG inventories.

3. International statistical community should take an active role • Existing NSOs statistics might be made more useful for emission inventories if the statistical community were consulted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when drafting data requirements. Statisticians should, therefore be included in, or at least consulted on, emission inventory methodology development. This in turn would help reduce the costs of the global system and improve the quality of inventories.

3. International statistical community should take an active role • Closer involvement of the statistical community in the processes linked to international climate accords would help countries fulfil the related data requirements. The statistical community should, therefore, actively follow up on the outcomes of the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties, in particular those related to the Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. The statistical community can add value by assessing data availability and feasibility of requirements related to the Kyoto protocol, and by preparing themselves for new data requirements, for example regarding the flexibility mechanisms.

3. International statistical community should take an active role • The 17th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Durban agreed to put in place by 2015 a global "protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties" to be implemented from 2020, essentially moving away fromthe current divide between industrialized and developing countries in future accords. This means that all countries may be required to submit annual inventories. Countries that are just building up the inventory system should involve the NSO from the beginning to avoid creating burdensome and overlapping data reporting systems. There is, therefore, an important opportunity in the next few years to involve NSOs to provide a solid foundation for emission inventories in countries that will be obliged to compile them.

3. International statistical community should take an active role • The international statistical community and many NSOs can be important partners in building capacity and knowledge required for greenhouse gas inventories, quality assurance and sound statistical methodology. Many NSOs have extensive experience in statistical capacity building and improving availability of evidence based information for monitoring development towards international development goals.

3. International statistical community should take an active role • There is scope for more sharing of good practice nationally between NSOs and inventory agencies, and there should be greater focus on making this happen at the international level too.

1. NSOs must improve data for GHG inventories • NSOs more aware how their data is used • Improve coherence emission inventories and official stats • Improve basic data on energy, agriculture, waste, land use, etc. • Improve coverage, quality, timeliness.

2. NSOs should be considered as official institution in GHG inventories • Clear role in providing statistics and in quality assurance • Legislation reviewed if necessary for effective cooperation between agencies (confidential data) • With inventory compilers evaluate whether NSOs statistics are fit-for-purpose

3. International statistical community should take an active role • Be consulted on emission inventory methodology development • Assess data availability and feasibility for Kyoto protocol • Prepare NSOs for new data requirements • Assist capacity building • Facilitate sharing of best practices.

Session 1: Official statistics and Greenhouse gas inventories