european commission: environment directorate: climate strategy, international negotiation and...

European Commission: Environment Directorate: Climate strategy, international negotiation and monitoring of EU action

EU reporting on Sources and SinksEU reporting on Sources and Sinks

Dr. Erasmia KitouDr. Erasmia Kitou

DG ENV Unit C.1 ‘Climate strategy, International Negotiation and DG ENV Unit C.1 ‘Climate strategy, International Negotiation and Monitoring of EU Action’Monitoring of EU Action’

Ispra, 13 November 2008Ispra, 13 November 2008


Role of the JRCRole of the JRC

Assists in the improvement of methodologies for the LULUCF and agriculture

sectors

Compares methodologies used among the Member States for estimating

emissions and removals from LULUCF and agriculture

Provides EU-wide emissions and removal estimates obtained using various

models/methods with a focus on LULUCF

Maintain database on LULUCF emissions factors

Close interaction with the Member States and the research community.

Results of these activities by the JRC are made available to Member States in

the period May-December to assist Member States in the compilation of their

national inventories for the subsequent year


LULUCF emissions in the EC inventoryLULUCF emissions in the EC inventory

Emissions reported to UNFCCC are based on bottom-up

inventories

Emissions and removals from LULUCF for the EC are the sum

of Member States’ emissions and removals as reported in

their CRF tables.

Reporting based on:

traditional Land Use statistics and National Forest Inventory data

modelling


Problems in the LULUCF sectorProblems in the LULUCF sector

Problems:Lack of data Harmonization issuesUncertainties, e.g., due to high variability of

emission factors Collection methods differ: design, spatial

intensity, frequency of field survey, and of latest information available.


Improvements madeImprovements made

Forest inventories have developed a lot, and further

developments are under way. The improvements include:

extended use of the new Good Practice Guidance for LULUCF (IPCC 2003) key category analysis including LULUCF sector more complete category coverage estimation of emissions from important pools like soils use of improved activity data use of improved emission factors developments in uncertainty estimation improved reporting on methodology.


Reporting LULUCF activities under theReporting LULUCF activities under theKyoto ProtocolKyoto Protocol

Report emissions and removals of CO2 and other GHG resulting from: Article 3.3 activities (mandatory): Human induced conversion from

forested unforested, since 1990• Afforestation, reforestation and deforestation

Article 3.4 activities (voluntary): No land conversion but land-management

• Forest mgmt.,Cropland mgmt.,Grazing land mgmt.,Revegation Information reported is supplementary to that reported under the

Convention Parties to report annually during the commitment period But annual reporting does not imply need for annual measurements


MS informationMS information During the Initial Report, Parties have provided some LULUCF-related information:

forest parameters, activities elected under Art. 3.4, accounting frequency)

This information is under the responsibility of MS. The EC initial report only included tables presenting an overview on MS' decisions as reported in their reports

Information on how the national system will identify land areas associated with activities under Article 3.4 is provided in the assigned amount reports of MS as the development of the methodological approach to identify land areas is part of their responsibilities

As only Member States may elect 3.3 and 3.4 activities and issue RMUs, the EC inventory under the KP will only include information on the sum of the 15 MS emissions and removals from the elected activities

The EC will neither issue nor cancel units based on the reported emissions and removals from 3.3 and 3.4 activities

The EC will report the sum of MS' cumulative accounting quantities for these activities at the end of the commitment period


Reporting obligations at EU levelReporting obligations at EU level

Decision 280/2004, Article 3.1(d)Decision 280/2004, Article 3.1(d) information with regard to the accounting of emissions and removals from land-use,

land-use change and forestry, in accordance with Article 3(3) and, where a Member State decides to make use of it, Article 3(4) of the Kyoto Protocol, and the relevant decisions thereunder, for the years between 1990 and the year before last (year X-2);

Decision 2005/166, Article 3Decision 2005/166, Article 3 Member States shall, in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Kyoto Protocol and the

relevant decisions adopted thereunder, for the purpose of Article 3(1)(d) of Decision No 280/2004/EC report their anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks from land-use change and forestry activities under Article 3(3) of the Kyoto Protocol for the years between 1990 and the year before last.

Member States that elect forest management, cropland management, grazing land management or revegetation under Article 3(4) of the Kyoto Protocol shall in addition report anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks for each elected activity for the years between 1990 and the year before last.

Member States shall clearly distinguish this information from estimates of anthropogenic emissions from the sources listed in Annex A to the Kyoto Protocol.

Member States shall provide the information in paragraph 1 in their reports submitted from 15 January 2010 onwards.


Difficult issuesDifficult issues

For all activities, ARD, FM, CM, GM and RV: land

identification and tracking land transitions over time

Reporting of soils, and especially organic soils

Reporting on forest fires for Mediterranean countries

with regards to assessment of destroyed areas and

the future of burned land


Future considerationsFuture considerations

Timely reporting: 15 January 2010

KP 3.3 and 3.4 reporting mandatory in 2010 on the basis of 2008 data

Avoid confusion with AFOLU and 2006 guidelines

Going from Convention reporting to the KP 3.3 and 3.4 reporting is a

substantial step Important to find and share solutions on delicate issues

Important to ensure harmonised LULUCF KP reporting better transparency/consistency at the EU level

Get better knowledge of the state of the art in the MS, be able to anticipate

possible difficulties for EC level KP reporting and deal with them on time


More info on EU climate policy: More info on EU climate policy: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/home_en.htm


UncertaintiesUncertainties

Uncertainties linked to forest area definitions

Uncertainties linked to activity data

Uncertainties linked to national forest inventories (NFI)

Uncertainties linked to calculation of stocks increment

Uncertainties linked to volume stocks statistics, or to harvest/drain

statistics

Uncertainties linked to expansion and conversion factors, or biomass

functions


NON-CONON-CO22 emissions emissions

Most non-CO2 emissions are: CH4 and NO2 deriving from wildfires - especially

in the Mediterranean countries N2O from disturbance associated with land-use

conversion to cropland. In most cases these emissions appear negligible

in comparison to emissions/removals of CO2.


Preparation processPreparation process

Key category analysis determine minimumTier to use Determine level of accuracy based on existing data Precision:

1 - 3 approaches :- Approach 1 : Use of existing data- Forestry and agriculture stats. - Approach 2 : Approach 1 + land use change info- Approach 3 : Explicit spatial information on land use and land use change

(geological reference points, sampling, etc.)

2 – Emission/Absorption factors : 3 levels of accuracy - Tier 1 (default factors) - Tier 2 (national factors) - Tier 3 (models and inventories tailored specifically to UNFCCC needs)


Share of the main land use categories by Share of the main land use categories by area of the EU-25area of the EU-25


Reporting Requirements – CRF for LULUCFReporting Requirements – CRF for LULUCF

Carbon stock changes in broad pools are estimated (including living biomass (above and below ground), dead wood and litter and soil organic matter (organic carbon in mineral and organic soils))

Table 5: Sectoral Report for LULUCF

Table 5A:Forest land & Land converted to forest land

Table 5B: Cropland & Land converted to cropland

Table 5C: Grassland & Land converted to grassland

Table 5D: Wetlands & Land converted to wetlands

Table 5E: Settlements & Land converted to settlements

Table 5F: Other land & Land converted to other land

Table 5(I): Direct N2O emissions from N fertilization

Table 5(II): N2O emissions from drainage of soils

Table 5(III):N2O emissions from disturbance associated with land use conversion to cropland

Table 5(IV): C emissions from agricultural lime application

Table 5(V): Biomass burning


Past/On-going workPast/On-going work

Need to check both the forest inventory data and the preparation of the GHG inventory.

‘Contribution of forests and forestry to mitigate greenhouse effects’ (COST E21)

Objective: to exchange experience and knowledge and to improve the quality of GHG

inventory compilation for forests in Europe. 2004.

‘Harmonisation of national forest inventories in Europe: Techniques for common

reporting’ (COST E43)

Objective: improve and harmonise the existing national forest resource inventories in

Europe and at promoting the use of scientifically sound and validated methods in forest

inventory designs, data collection and data analysis (e.g., harmonised estimation

procedures for carbon pools and carbon pool changes.

Workshops: “Improving the Quality of Community GHG Inventories and

Projections for the LULUCF Sector”(Ispra, 2005)

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