Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections

Emission inventory adjustments – an update

TFEIP co-chairs: Chris Dore, Martin Adams and Kristina Saarinen

The place to find information

The place to find information

Key documents: 2012

• Executive Body Decisions 2012/3 and 2012/4 – establishing and implementing the adjustment procedure under the (amended) Gothenburg Protocol

• Executive Body Decision 2012/12 – Guidance for adjustments

Key documents: Decision 2012/3

Applications to ‘adjust’ emission inventories, or emission reduction commitments, may be made under 3 circumstances:

The circumstances under which such an adjustment… could be applied are extraordinary and fall into three broad categories where:

(a) Emission source categories are identified that were not accounted for at the time when emission reduction commitments were set;

(b) Emission factors used to determine emissions levels for particular source categories for the year in which emissions reduction commitments are to be attained are significantly different than the emission factors applied to these categories when emission reduction commitments were set; or

(c) The methodologies used for determining emissions from specific source categories have undergone significant changes between the time when emission reduction commitments were set and the year they are to be attained;

Key documents: Dec. 2014

• December 2014: TFEIP document submitted to Executive Body‘Technical Guidance for Parties Making Adjustment Applications and for the Expert Review of Adjustment Applications’ ECE/EB.Air/130

• Referred to by the EB as ‘preliminary additional guidance’

• SE and UK support for preparing the guidance – thank you!

Key documents: Dec. 2014

EB Decision 2014/1

Key documents: Decision 2014/1

• Requests the EMEP Steering Body to further develop… the preliminary additional guidance prepared on adjustment applications by the Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections in accordance with decision 2012/12 [guidance], as amended;

• Decides that, except as otherwise provided by decision 2012/12, as amended, Parties making adjustment applications and expert reviewers should, on a provisional basis, use the revised version of the preliminary additional guidance

• Decides to amend its decision 2012/12 as set out in the annex to this decision…

Key documents: Decision 2014/1

Definition of what a new source is:

An emission source category can qualify as new:

i. (For Parties inside EMEP geographic scope): if emission estimates for that source category were introduced to the national emission inventory after the emission reduction commitment for that pollutant was set and where no methodology was provided in the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook… at the time that the emission reduction commitment was set;

ii. (For Parties inside EMEP geographic scope): if emissions estimates for the source category were introduced to the national air pollutant emissions inventory after the emission reduction commitment for that pollutant was set, and where no methodology was available to that Party in determining emissions from that source category at the time that the emission reduction commitment was set;

Key documents: Decision 2014/1

iii. With respect to the 2010 ceilings, a source category for which emission estimates were introduced to the national emission inventory after the emission reduction commitment was set may also qualify as a new source category where a methodology was available in the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook at the time that the emission reduction commitment was set only if a Party can demonstrate that it was unable to apply this methodology due to a lack of relevant national statistical data or can provide another justification why it could not make use of this methodology

Key documents: Decision 2014/1

Definition of what a ‘significantly different’ emission factor or methodology is:

An emission factor or methodology for determining emissions from a specific emission source category will only be assessed as significantly different… …if the change in the emission factor or methodology is the result of improved scientific understanding of the source since the emission reduction commitment was set and has resulted in a revision of the EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook or the applied country-specific emission factor or methodology.

Key documents: Decision 2014/1

Formalises (allows) on-going communication between the adjustment review team and Party (via CEIP – review secretariat)

Ensures Parties received from CEIP a copy of the draft adjustment review findings for comment

All information submitted concerning the adjustment application shall be made publicly available through the CEIP website.

Next steps

EMEP (TFEIP) has been requested by the Executive Body to update the preliminary additional guidance…:

Requests the EMEP Steering Body to further develop… the preliminary additional guidance prepared on adjustment applications by the Task Force on Emission Inventories and Projections in accordance with decision 2012/12, as amended;

…by the time of the next EB meeting (18 Dec 2015). So a TFEIP proposed text is needed for the next EMEP Steering Body meeting (14-18 Sept) around approx. mid-June.

A consolidated version of Decision 2012/12 would also be useful to have (CEIP/secretariat?)

Please read the original text of the decisions and guidance on the CEIP website for the full details and context