UNFCC Workshop on National Systems for GHG Inventories

1. UNFCC Workshop on National Systems for GHG Inventories US GHG Inventory Planning Bill Irving, USEPA April 11, 2005

2. What is a National Inventory System? A national inventory system incorporates all the elements necessary to estimate GHG emissions and sinks, including institutional, legal and procedural arrangements Inventory Planning Inventory Management Inventory Preparation High quality inventory that meets needs of policy-makers, researchers and public

3. Importance of Developing a National Inventory System • Ability to develop high quality inventory at regular intervals • Resources are focused on the most significant emission sources in the country • Sources of data are identified, appropriately archived and regularly accessible • Emission estimates are continually improved; adhere to international guidance (e.g., IPCC Good Practice Guidance)

4. U.S. GHG Inventory • Interagency effort led by EPA • Memorandum of understanding with Department of State (UNFCCC focal point) • EPA has developed national GHG inventories annually since 1991 • Other government bodies involved: • Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Defense, Transportation etc. • Each Inventory undergoes improvements and changes year to year

5. U.S. National Inventory System • Mature system: In place since 1998-99 • Only minor changes in basic structure 2000-2005 • Additional QA/QC and uncertainty components • Decentralized approach • Individual specialists with sectoral expertise (“source leads”) manage each source category • Inventory coordinator aggregates emissions, prepares NIR and CRF tables, archives each inventory submission

6. U.S. National System Source Leads: LULUCF Management Team Leif Hockstad Lisa Hanle • Compile Estimates • General QA/QC • Cross-Cutting Analyses (e.g., key sources) • Summary CRF Tables • Conduct peer and public reviews • Archive Inventory Source Lead: Waste Consultants, USDA, USFS Universities Source Leads: Ag U.S. Inventory Management Team Source Leads: IP and Solvents Source Leads: Energy Trade Associations, Consultants, U.S. Geological Survey Energy Dept., Universities, consultants

7. Source Category Leads Peer Reviewers • Source Lead Tasks • Estimates • Write-Ups • Annexes • Disaggregated CRF Tables • Uncertainty Calculations • Source-specific QA/QC Source Lead Other Agencies Consultant Researchers

8. Source Category - Soils Department of Agriculture • Source Lead Tasks • Estimates • Write-Ups • Annexes • Disaggregated CRF Tables • Uncertainty Calculations • Source-specific QA/QC Tom Wirth - EPA Colorado State University Affiliated Researchers

9. Energy Leif Hockstad (CO2 combustion Sharon Saile (Non-CO2 mobile sources) Lisa Hanle (Fugitives) Industrial Processes David Godwin (ODS substitutes) Debbie Ottinger (other F gas sources) Jonathan Lubetsky (all other industrial processes) Agriculture Kathryn Bickel (livestock) Tom Wirth (soils, rice etc.) LUCF Tom Wirth Kathryn Bickel Waste Elizabeth Scheehle USEPA Source Leads

10. Annual Inventory Cycle: Planning • Inventory planning • Selection of methodology, equations, models • Overall conceptual approach; boundary selection • Data collection and generation of estimates • Inventory compilation • Process and synthesis of estimates • Internal data analysis • Formal review process • Review and comment by other U.S. agencies, experts, scientists • Review by general public • 30 day review period announced in the U.S. Federal Register • Clearance and submission to UNFCCC

11. Timeline for Preparation - 12 months Submission on April 8, 2005 Nov - Dec Late January April - September April 15th Mid October Late December Feb - Mar Incorporate public comments Respond to interagency comments Gather data and prepare initial estimates Prepare draft report Expert and interagency review Release for public comment Submit Inventory to UN

12. Planning improvements to Inventory Management Team • Many arrangements detailed in Article 5.1 GL already in place • National entity identified • Responsibilities assigned • Archiving system in place • Third Party Review established • Current planning focuses on: • Improvements to uncertainty and QA/QC tasks

13. Source Specific Planned Improvements • Usually start at individual source level with “Source Leads”, rather than top-down with GPG. • Good practice methods in place for most key sources prior to GPG • Most changes/recalculations are “refinements” rather than new methods • Methodological development and improvement • Investigation of new activity data, emission factors, and/or methodological advances • Possible new sources: • Wetlands • Enhanced oil recovery

14. Key Source Analysis: Example Level Assessment • CO2 emissions from stationary combustion- coal: A key source • CH4 emissions from manure management: Not a key source

15. Key Source Analysis: Example Trend Assessment • Note: N20 Emissions from adipic acid production a key source according to Trend, but not Level Assessment. Should still be treated as a key source.

16. Third Party Review • U.S. GHG Inventory undergoes 2 separate reviews within U.S. • Expert Review • Select small group of contributors from government, industry, academia. • Roster needs to be updated annually • Public Review • Large scale formal review by U.S. public • Announcement in Federal Register for 30 day comment period

17. Planning: What’s next? • “Start-up costs”: US invested heavily in starting up its national system • “Operating costs”: US just now starting to see benefits of national system in terms of lower resources necessary for annual inventory cycle • Next steps in inventory planning: • Doing more with less… • Using resources in other areas

18. Other areas • Inventory management capacity building • Central America • Co-operation with multilateral efforts (UNDP, UNFCC) • Developing more disaggregated estimates for national policy considerations • Regional inventories, sectoral inventories, numbers of facilities/sources • Application of inventory expertise to other areas • Projections, economic analyses, global emission databases, market mechanisms