Sources:
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretatiat (see: http://unfccc.int)
Definitions & Technical notes:
GHG from Energy: all emissions related to the production and use of energy in any sectors of the economy and households. It includes emissions from fuel combustion as well as fugitive fuels. This variable corresponds to IPCC category 1.
GHG from Industrial Processes: emissions from processes such as chemical industry, metal industry, production and use of mineral products and other industries. This variable corresponds to IPCC category 2.
GHG from Agriculture: all emissions from enteric fermentation, manure mangagement, rice cultivation, agricultural soils, field burning of agricultural residues, prescribed burning of savannas and other agricultural activities. This variable corresponds to IPCC category 4.
GHG from Waste: total emissions from solid waste disposal on land, wastewater handling, waste incineration and any other waste management activity. This variable corresponds to IPCC category 6.
Data Quality:
Countries should report their greenhouse gas emissions to UNFCCC according to the IPCC Guidelines. The quality of data is regularly checked by UNFCCC for the Annex 1 parties to the Convention that report annually. Non-Annex 1 countries do not report on a regular basis and their data are not subject to the same thorough checking. Data quality depends on the quality of statistics underlying the calculations or estimates and is usually the best for energy related emissions; for other sources, the data should be used with caution when comparing countries.
Policy Relevance:
The Earth’s average surface temperature rose by around 0.6°C during the 20th century and most scientific advisors to the world’s governments conclude that evidence is growing that most of the warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities, such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The resulting increased energy in the weather system is already resulting in increased storms and rainfall in some areas, while others suffer drought. This is expected to increase in future, and while how fast and where this will happen is still controversial, there is consensus in the scientific community that the consequences may be serious. In 1992 the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro, adopted the Framework Convention on Climate Change as the basis for global political action.
As a result of this convention, commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases were agreed in Kyoto in December 1997. The Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force on 16 February 2005, stipulates that Annex 1 Parties (mainly industrialised countries) shall individually or jointly reduce their aggregate emissions of a “basket” of six greenhouse gases to 5% below 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012.
In contrast to this political target the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates the need for an immediate 50-70% reduction in global CO2 emissions in order to stabilise global CO2 concentrations at the 1990 level by 2100.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD ) held in Johannesburg in 2002 made commitments towards the urgent and substantial increase in the use of renewable (non-carbon) energy sources as well as the setting-up of programmes leading to more sustainable consumption and production patterns, including a reduction in energy use.
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