Improving National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Success Stories from Europe and the CIS Region

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1 UNDP-GEF REGIONAL PROJECT Capacity Building for Improving the Quality of Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Europe/CIS region) Improving National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Success Stories from Europe and the CIS Region UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Global Environment Facility

2 Key actors during third regional workshop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS Inventory teams used the time between the initial and second national communications to enhance their technical capacity within the framework of this project. The countries of the region have demonstrated how national inventory teams and sustainable inventory systems can be put in place within a relatively short period of time. All participating countries have compiled time series of inventory data. These time series will help them understand how economic transformations have impacted patterns of energy and resource use and will be fundamental to the development of mitigation strategies. The establishment of documentation and archiving systems will help countries to reduce costs when compiling their next national greenhouse gas inventories. Implementation of the good practice elements of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has provided a strategic approach to improving the quality of national greenhouse gas inventories while also increasing the transparency and comparability of national statistics. The regional approach proved extremely efficient, as countries could share information, experiences and lessons learned with synergistic results.

3 Strengthened institutional arrangements for compiling, archiving, updating and managing greenhouse gas inventories A national inventory system incorporates all of the elements needed to estimate, report and archive GHG emissions and sinks, including the institutional, legal and procedural arrangements. Having a system in place means that a country can develop a high quality inventory at regular intervals be that annually or every three to four years because institutional arrangements within each country are established and broadly known, legal support is in place and all the sources of data (activity data, emission factors, and background information) for compiling the national GHG inventories have been identified, documented, appropriately archived and made accessible. Prior to the project, no countries had a national manual of procedures describing their national inventory system or how the national GHG inventory had been compiled. So if the existing inventory team were to disperse, the new inventory team would have to recreate the wheel in terms of compiling the next inventory. Similarly, there were no inventory archives in place, meaning inventory teams had no reliable documentation on where or why certain data or emission factors had been selected and lacked a simple approach for updating data estimates. Institutional Strengthening MAIN OUTPUTS National manuals of procedures prepared: After receiving training and guidance documents, each country completed a draft of its manual of regional key sources in the national language. The manuals are currently being finalised based on feedback from the project s Technical Advisory Committee. Data collection improved: All of the countries have made significant progress in monitoring their inventory processes, identifying gaps, using flow charts to map (potential) national and international data providers for key sources, and suggesting measures to improve activity data. The countries have obtained activity data for selected key sources for more than one year and estimated time series of emissions. The two Annex I countries, Croatia and Slovenia, have complete GHG inventories for 1990 to Regional key sources documented and archived: Countries have created archiving systems that are appropriate to their national circumstances. All activity data and emission factors related to the key regional sources have been documented and archived in every country. 180 CH 4 emissions in Gg Armenia Croatia Georgia FYR Macedonia Moldova Mongolia Slovenia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Estimated time series of emissions from municipal solid waste treatment

4 Peer reviews undertaken: Peer review is an important part of ensuring the quality of inventories. Experts were trained and will participate in a regional exercise, providing feedback on the work of other countries in improving the regional key sources. These reviews will form part of the quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) plan for each country. NOTABLE NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS Croatia and Slovenia have prepared national inventory reports, and Moldova and FYR Macedonia are in the process of doing so. Slovenia is developing a national manual based on principles similar to those for ISO procedures. FYR Macedonia has created an Access database in which all activity data, emission factors and emission estimates of their national GHG inventories have been archived. Tajikistan has an Access database with population statistics from 1990 to 2003 while Armenia worked with its statistical department to correct population numbers by regions and cities for a decade, based on a 2002 census. Albania developed standard forms for archiving of data. Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan documented emission factors. Documentation sheet of emission cadastre in Croatia LESSONS LEARNED Appropriate documentation and archiving of the national GHG inventory, and preparation of a national manual of inventory procedures are time- and labour-intensive, but are critical to enhancing the sustainability of the inventory process. It is important to document why activity data, methods, emission factors and results were (or were not) selected for a national GHG inventory, as well as underlying assumptions and uncertainties. Without such systems, inventory teams and the national inventory itself will not be able to benefit from the work that has been done before. Activity data gaps and uncertainties are some of the most commonly reported problems in non-annex I countries. The identification of alternative data providers and the use of standardised methods for filling in gaps in the data help to complete the inventories. Data flow charts are a useful method for mapping this information. Countries followed the principles of IPCC good practice guidance for documentation and archiving activities for the national GHG inventory, but developed systems that were appropriate to their national circumstances. Some national approaches were quite innovative and could be disseminated as good practice examples to other countries. Sustainable inventory processes created The most difficult challenge of the project will be ensuring that the work initiated under the project continues when the regional project ends. Only the Croatian and Slovenian governments provided ongoing funds for inventory activities related to national communications. As a first step, countries are preparing strategies that prioritise the tasks required to improve or put in place the inventory system over the medium to long term. The benefit of having a strategy is that it allows inventory teams to identify and cost the most urgent priorities, which can then be

5 presented to national policymakers. Awareness-raising materials are also under development that will highlight the importance of institutionalising the inventory process and the multiple benefits of data collection. These materials will be targeted toward policymakers and data providers. MAIN OUTPUTS Inventory improvement strategies developed: Countries have analysed their national situations and drafted long-term strategies, which have been reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee. Detailed national work plans under the project act as short-term inventory improvement strategies. Better efforts still need to be made in some nations to identify countryspecific targets and actions. Awareness raising under way: An awareness-raising strategy has been disseminated to all countries, and additional materials are being prepared. Linkages of GHG inventories to other UNDP-GEF projects (e.g. Second National Communications, National Capacity Self-Assessments) and other mechanisms under UN conventions the clean development mechanism, joint implementation and emissions trading have been highlighted. Government representatives have been involved in all regional workshops and two side events were held at the Ninth Conference of the Parties. Outreach to Annex I and transition economies: Annex I experts from the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and the US are members of the Technical Advisory Committee and participate at project workshops as trainers and facilitators. Additional Annex I experts from Australia, Bulgaria, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Slovakia participate as consultants and reviewers. A partnership has just been established with the European Environment Agency on a project of the Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS) programme on climate change capacity building launched this year for the EECCA region of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia countries. Collaboration with the IPCC Technical Support Unit and the UNFCCC Secretariat has enhanced country access to tools and inventory relevant information. Sustainable Inventory Processes NOTABLE NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS All participating countries designated an institution responsible for compiling greenhouse gas inventories and created teams of inventory experts. Turkmenistan has established a new inventory team after a break of a few years. Uzbekistan and Moldova have obtained legal support from their governments for the GHG inventory process and regular cooperation from the national statistical offices. Albania, Armenia, Georgia, FYR Macedonia, Mongolia and Tajikistan improved collaboration with data providers. LESSONS LEARNED The inventory improvement strategy is an important mechanism for countries looking to identify and prioritise tasks. Each new inventory is an opportunity to not only improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of emission estimates, but also to improve the management systems designed to carry out all phases of the inventory. Nonetheless, it cannot be expected to improve all elements of an inventory at the same time. Rather, the inventory process should be seen as an ongoing, iterative process. To establish priorities, countries should carry out an assessment of the inventory key sources a simple procedure that prioritises sources within the national inventory system because their emissions have a significant influence on a country s total inventory of direct greenhouse gases in terms of the absolute level of emissions, the trend in emissions, or both. Regular contact with policymakers, data providers and the scientific community is important for ensuring ongoing assistance with the national GHG inventory. Awareness raising should focus on the multiple benefits of the inventory, such as improved national resource management, improved mitigation assessments and better planning for transport and other infrastructures.

6 Enhanced technical capacity for preparing national inventories All of the countries have prepared at least one national GHG inventory as part of their commitments to the UNFCCC, but difficulties have been reported in keeping these trained teams together for future national communications. Experts participating in the regional project are being trained in IPCC good practice principles, such as key source analysis; identification of appropriate methods and emission factors; uncertainty management; and preparation of QA/QC plans. Each country will also train at least eight additional experts at the national level as an in-kind contribution to the project. QA/QC Plan Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan QA/QC Experts National GHG Inventory Team QC Procedures NIR Archiving & Documentation QA Procedures MAIN OUTPUTS Five regional workshops held, 80 experts trained: As well as the 12 project countries, experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia and Montenegro and Turkey participated as observers at three regional workshops. All of the workshops have provided training in different aspects of IPCC good practice. One of the most valuable aspects of the regional workshops has been the opportunity for countries to present results and obtain feedback from technical resource teams, as well as exchange experiences and lessons learned. Experts from Georgia, Moldova, Mongolia and Slovenia have participated in UNFCCC Secretariat in-depth reviews of Annex I countries. Sectoral reports Experts, relevant ministries and organisations QA/QC system in Turkmenistan NIR NGOs, independent experts, public organisations QA/QC plans developed: All of the countries developed QA/QC plans, although improvements are still needed. It is anticipated that countries will undertake the QA/QC activities as part of their second national communications. NOTABLE NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS Azerbaijan, FYR Macedonia and Uzbekistan performed data control for selected key sources. Armenia developed and implemented a QA plan which helped to improve the activity data quality in the waste sector. An innovative capacity-building approach under the project was to invite regional experts to apply for short-term consultancy contracts to complete specific tasks related to project objectives. Experts from Albania, Croatia, Georgia and Kazakhstan participated in this process. LESSONS LEARNED Although regional workshops are costly, they are one of the best mechanisms for sharing results and experiences and providing training. A bilingual (English-Russian) project website is a mechanism for sharing infrormation and results. The website receives about 300 hits monthly and features a searchable database containing 91 regional inventory experts. The site also hosts an electronic discussion forum for posting queries. Inventory review training is a useful capacity-building exercise. Countries should strive to integrate more national experts in the UNFCCC in-depth review process. Improved methodologies and emission factors Many countries have not selected appropriate emission factors or documented the reasoning for their choices. The project focuses on four regionally significant key sources (road transport, enteric fermentation, landfills, oil and gas operations) and ways to improve emission estimates through methods consistent with IPCC guidelines.

7 MAIN OUTPUTS Methods for estimating emissions and factors improved: Emission factors from the region were analysed by regional experts from Albania, Georgia and Kazakhstan. INFRAS of Switzerland developed a tool for calculating national solid waste emissions and a simplified Tier 2 method for calculating national emission factors for enteric fermentation. As a result, all of the countries were able to improve methods for making better emission factor estimates and documenting their approaches. Increased reliability of emission factors: Countries learned from IPCC good practice (decision trees) to select appropriate methods and emission factors for key regional sources and to document all emission factors used in the national GHG inventories NOTABLE COUNTRY ACHIEVEMENTS Armenia developed a composition model of municipal solid waste to improve the emission factor and then recalculated waste sector emissions for Georgia carried out a waste composition study (results were also incorporated by the Armenian team) that applied historical data to hypothetical landfills. They compared their data to countries with similar geographical and climate conditions to assess waste generation and disposal rates. Moldova and Tajikistan carried out landfill gas measurements to better estimate the fraction of methane in their landfill gas and are studying waste compositions. Uzbekistan improved emission factors and activity data for fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Azerbaijan has progressed in improving the transport sector of the inventory, and Croatia used the COPERT model to estimate road transport emissions. LESSONS LEARNED IPCC default emission factors can be inappropriate for sources highly dependent on local conditions, and countries may wish to develop a local emission factor. This long and costly undertaking should only be done when the source is key and the inventory improvement strategy has labelled it a priority. Countries have achieved good results by focusing on the improvement of activity data and the use of simplified, higher tier approaches. Technical Capacity and Methodologies Biogas measurements in Tajikistan Armenia obtained national EF for enteric fermentation

8 Easter Island Isla San Ambrosio Baltic Sea Lake Baikal Slovenia Croatia Moldova Sea of Azov Aral Sea Lake Balkhash Mongolia FYR Macedonia Albania Black Sea Georgia Armenia Caspian Sea Azerbajan Turkmenistan Uzbegistan Tajikistan Mediterranean Sea Persian Gulf UNDP-GEF REGIONAL PROJECT Capacity Building for Improving the Quality of Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Europe/CIS region) The overall goals of the project are to strengthen technical and institutional capacity and to improve the quality of data inputs to national GHG inventories. This United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) project has been a leader with its regional programmatic approach. Outputs and lessons learned from the project are being used to inform other inventory projects taking place in central and western Africa (funded by UNDP-GEF); Central America (US Agency for International Development); Asia (Japan); and the EECCA region of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (European Environmental Agency). The USD 2.8-million, three-year project was launched in June 2003 with funding from the GEF and Switzerland. Twelve countries participate in the project: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Georgia, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The regional management unit is based at the Regional Environmental Center (REC) in Szentendere, Hungary. Using good practice inventory principles devised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), countries focus primarily on strengthening institutional arrangements for compiling, archiving, updating, and managing greenhouse gas inventories in order to create a sustainable inventory process. The four project objectives are outlined below, along with the project s successes and lessons learned. THE REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE UNDP-GEF REGIONAL COORDINATION UNIT Ady Endre ut Szentendre Hungary Tel: (36-26) Fax: (36-26) For more information, visit the project website < or contact the regional project manager, Katarina Mareckova kmareckova@rec.org.