The climate change, the Oslo meeting ­- and so what?

1. The climate change, the Oslo meeting ­- and so what? Olav Ljones Deputy Director General Statistics Norway olj@ssb.no

2. 1. Introduction • An increased understanding of the climate challenge • Scientists with a broad professional and geographical background are involved in the efforts to improve the broad understanding • But also split opinions ? • What is the role of official statistics – and how eventually improve?

3. 2. The Nobel Peace Prize 2007 • The Nobel Peace Prize was given to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC and Al Gore in 2007 • the two who should be given the greatest credit for moving the climate challenge up the political agenda. • International scientific reports on climate change are internationally distributed • Knowledge (about the climate problem) is important for shaping the policy • Acceptance that the climate challenge is severe and there is a need for a fact based action plan to avoid the threats from climate change,

4. 3. Some words about IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change • The IPCC was established in 1988 as a follow up on the Brundtland report • assessing global change with regard to its • Degree • Causes • Consequences • The IPCC has delivered four reports, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2007. • http://www.ipcc.ch/

5. 4. UNFCCC, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. • responsible for the development of the common guidelines for calculation or estimations of emission of green house gasses. • The emission inventories • http://unfccc.int/2860.php • Very relevant for a program for official statistics on GHG • How to cooperate ?

6. 5. Official statistics and the environment • Environment statistics – 30 to 40 years • Still to develop? • emission data (UNFCCC) started a little more than 10 years • More and more basic environmental statistics • System for environmental economic accounting SEEA, and The UN Committee, UNCEEA • National variations, degree of centralised official environmental statistics.

7. 6. The Oslo Conference. April 2008. • A UN, Eurostat and World Bank Conference • Statistics Norway hosted the Conference – some link to the Nobel Prize

8. 7. What happened at the Oslo Conference? • The Climate changes- measure problems not discussed • Emission Inventories • Some important basic statistics – e.g. energy statistics, not descussed in detail. • Focus on emission and mitigation • Mitigation and adaptation needs broad and consistent set of data – also from official statistics • What is the role of official statistics in the measurement of the impacts of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change? • How do the principles and quality claims for official statistics suit the demand for information about climate change?

9. Conclusions • The priority of the topic • have to follow the basic principles and ideals for official statistics. • It is important to be non political – is moving climate up the agenda to be political? • an improved use of (existing) official statistics for a special use or should we develop new official statistics • Do we need a special term climate statistics? • What new basic elements – is needed ? • Trade with quotas • Country statistics and global totals • Analytical reports, research and the borders to official statistcis • Sustainable development indicators