Task Force on Climate Change Related Statistics Chair’s Opening Remarks

1. Task Force on Climate Change Related StatisticsChair’s Opening Remarks Second Meeting on Climate Change Related Statistics for Producers And Users 8-9 October, 2013

2. Background to the Task Force • Greenhouse gas emission inventories are well-established but other statistics on climate change, including on the social and economic impacts of mitigation and adaptation, are undeveloped • The environmental, social and economic statistics offered by national statistical offices could be better utilized for climate change analysis • The information needed for fully understanding the causes and impacts of climate change is scattered • The global nature of climate change calls for wider cooperation among organisations to better respond to the information needs

3. Task Force – mandate and objectives • Created in November 2011 by UNECE Conference of European Statisticiansto identify practical steps for development of climate change related statistics and to explore the data requirements of the producers of greenhouse gas emission inventories • Final report with concrete recommendations and priorities for national statistical offices – April 2014

4. Consultations and coordination • The Task Force has consulted with: • UNFCCC/IPCC • WHO • WMO • European Environment Agency • EU DG Clima • NGOs (WWF, Carbon Brief) • Researchers (Finnish Env Inst, U of Bologna, FEEM) • United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) • UNCEEA

5. Purpose of our meeting • Follow-up to November 2012 meeting • To review the Task Force’s draft report before it is circulated for international consultation • In particular, to review the recommendations • The meeting has been structured to provide maximum opportunity for discussion • Session chairs will briefly review draft recommendations • Discussants will offer their own thoughts and suggest questions to motivate the discussion • We are counting on active participation!

6. Structure of the report • Chapter 1 – Scope of climate change related statistics • Chapter 2 – Statistical needs related to greenhouse gas inventories • Chapter 3 – Other needs for climate change related statistics • Chapter 4 – Recommendations and future work agenda

7. Climate change related statistics • Climate change related statistics refer to those environmental, social and economic statistics that measure climate sensitive phenomena • We distinguish these from climate change statistics, which are those that measure weather and climate directly • The former are the object of focus for the Task Force as they are most closely related to the mandates of national statistical offices

8. The National Statistical System • National statistics are, broadly speaking, those that adhere to official quality standards • The Fundamental Principlesof Official Statistics • In most countries, a national statistical office (NSO) exists and is responsible for producing a large portion of national statistics • Other agencies play important roles as well • Central banks, various line ministries and agencies • Together, the NSO and other agencies make up the national statistical system • The report is directed at all parts of the national statistical system but particularly to national statistical offices

9. Statistical frameworks • The following frameworks were analysed: • Driving forces – Pressure – State – Impacts – Response (DPSIR) • Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES, 2013) • UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA, 2013) • Natural capital approach • Impact, mitigation and adaptation • Each had strengths and weaknesses, but we did not adopt any specific framework

10. Scope of climate change related statistics • Very broadly, the Task Force defines the scope of climate change related statistics as • Environmental, social and economic data that measure the human causes of climate change, the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems, the efforts of humans to avoid the consequences as well as their efforts to adapt to these consequences

11. Strengths of statistical offices • Political independence and adherence to transparent quality standards • Focus on long time series and the tools to produce them • Broad mandate (in some countries) covering economy, society and environment in an integrated fashion • Capacity for spatial disaggregation

12. Challenges for statistical offices • Lots of data – but not all are well suited to climate change analysis • Limited mandate (in some countries) that does not allow for collection of many climate change related statistics • Mechanisms to identify users’ needs for climate change related statistics are sometimes lacking • Mechanisms to coordinate the national statistical system to improve climate change related statistics are not always well established

13. My hopes for the next day-and-a-half • Rich discussion – plenty of time in the agenda for your comments • Please make use of it • Identifying what we may have missed or gotten wrong in our recommendations • Establishing some clear priorities for the path forward • Reinforcing the bridges the Task Force’s work has already started