Towards common GHG inventory reporting tables for Biennial Transparency Reports
Experiences with tools for generating and using reporting tables under the UNFCCC
Under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement, Parties will
be required to report information on national GHG inventories using a set of Common
Reporting Tables (CRTs). The CRTs can provide an important source of data at the international
and national levels. While a final set of tables has not yet been agreed upon, there
is an emerging convergence around the view that the Common Reporting Format (CRF)
tables that Annex I Parties currently use to report national GHG inventories could
serve as a starting point for the development of CRTs. To support ongoing discussions,
this paper provides details on the structure and functions of the existing CRF tables
and the CRF Reporter software used to generate the tables, as well as some countries’
experiences with using this current system. To facilitate the transition towards reporting
using CRTs, the paper also provides an overview of other tools that could support
countries in reporting GHG inventories through CRTs and outlines a set of key issues
that could be considered in the transparency negotiations. The paper concludes that
the use of CRF tables and a CRF Reporter reduces the reporting burden on Parties –
and that this could also be a significant benefit of CRTs and a CRT reporter. The
paper also highlights that countries’ experience shows that effective IT arrangements
can facilitate the reporting process but that as developing countries have no prior
experience with the use of CRF tables and the CRF Reporter, the transition to a new
CRT system may need capacity-building support, including for setting up suitable IT
arrangements.
Published on April 23, 2021
In series:OECD/IEA Climate Change Expert Group Papersview more titles