Greenhouse gas emissions data: Concepts and data availability

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data is essential for tracking progress towards the Paris Agreement’s global temperature goals. In addition to the emissions inventories based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change guidelines, which are used for tracking progress under the framework of the Paris Agreement, there are other GHG emissions datasets that cater to different users and policy objectives. This paper evaluates three OECD datasets on GHG emissions: Air emissions – Greenhouse gas emissions inventories, Agricultural greenhouse gases emissions, and the Air Emissions Accounts (AEAs) based on the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. It also looks at one dataset from the International Energy Agency: CO2 emissions from fuel combustion. It discusses the inventory and AEA approaches in terms of accounting principles (production- versus demand-based, territory versus residence), as well as classifications and scope of emissions. It looks at the coverage of the GHG emissions datasets and identifies the data gaps. Finally, the paper outlines several steps to enhance data coverage and quality of the datasets.