Background

Existing data shows that the year 2024 had record high greenhouse gas level emissions. Climate change is a threat multiplier with the potential to worsen some of humanity’s greatest challenges, including health, poverty and hunger. With climate change affecting billions of people around the world, we are facing a global crisis that requires urgent action more than ever. Climate action is more than just one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As climate change and sustainable development are closely interlinked, achieving SDGs by 2030 heavily relies on addressing the climate crisis.     

This global imperative aligns with the 7th Greenhouse Gas Inventory System Training Workshop to enhance the capacity of countries in the Asia-Pacific region for providing a national inventory report of greenhouse gases in accordance with the modalities, procedures and guidelines of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) and utilizing such national Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories for the effective design and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. In this context, the landmark decision at COP28 on December 13, 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels marks a pivotal shift in the global approach to combating climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the inevitability of a fossil fuel phaseout, underscoring the need for a just and equitable end to the era of fossil fuels.

The workshop will focus on giving intensive hands-on training on GHG inventories including a demonstration on the estimation of emissions and removals using the IPCC Inventory Software, reporting of emissions and removals using the ETF reporting tool  and interoperability of IPCC software with ETF reporting tool for GHG inventories. The workshop will also focus on the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), an integral component of Paris Agreement, the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), electronic reporting of the information in the national inventory report and the ETF reporting tools in line with the evolving international climate architecture. The ETF under the Paris Agreement builds on the current, solid measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system under the Convention, which for developed countries is biennial reports,  the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and the International Assessment and Review (IAR); and for developing countries is the biennial update reports and International Consultation and Analysis (ICA). Parties under the Paris Agreement are required to submit their first biennial transparency report (BTR1) and national inventory report, if submitted as a stand-alone report, in accordance with the modalities, procedures and guidelines, by 31 December 2024 at the latest. 

Underpinning all this work is activity data. Activity data measures activities that generate GHG emissions such as energy consumption, transportation mileage, or agricultural yields. This data is the backbone of emissions and removals calculations as it is multiplied by corresponding emissions factors to derive overall emissions and removals estimates. High quality, comprehensive and reliable data is essential to ensure (i) accuracy and reliability, (ii) transparency and comparability, (iii) policy relevance and (iv) continuous improvement. The ability to deliver accurate and detailed inventories gives countries the opportunity to develop high quality carbon credits which could be a significant source of income for Least Developed Countries (LDC), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).   

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

The 7th Greenhouse Gas Inventory System Training Workshop aims to provide an opportunity for countries from the Africa and Asia-Pacific regions to build capacity and engage in policy dialogue on providing a national inventory report of greenhouse gases and utilizing national GHG inventories for the design and implementation of NDCs under the Paris Agreement with an emphasis on improving the collection of activity data in the energy sector as well as considering overlaps in the IPPU (industrial processes and product use) and waste management sectors. While Asia, including the Pacific region, emits the largest volume of GHG, producing about half the world’s carbon dioxide, member states are still having difficulty managing and collecting the GHG-related data. Whilst Africa contributes less than 4% of GHG emissions, it needs capacity training in order to meet the ETF requirements and also improve their ability to access climate finance. Working with Asia-Pacific countries through South-South exchanges can assist African countries in further developing their capacities. Therefore, the workshop is expected to have the following outcomes:

• Enhance the capacity of government officials and experts on enhancing GHG inventory system through deeper understanding of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) and its modalities, procedures and guidelines; outline of Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), electronic reporting of information through the ETF reporting tools.
• Exchange of advanced knowledge and experiences of national governments on developing GHG inventory systems, including electronic reporting of information through the reporting tools.
• Develop skills in collecting, managing and reporting raw activity data and emission factors in the energy sector.
• Engage participants on NDC 3.0 updates, while advancing networks among participating organizations, countries, and regions to promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Organizers 

This workshop will be organized by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency - Global Support Programme (CBIT-GSP) and hosted by the Government of Kazakhstan.