Review and prospects on Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines and Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support

doi:10.12006/j.issn.1673-1719.2025.060

Abstract

Abstract:

In this paper, the development process of the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines is systematically reviewed, and the evolution characteristics of its four stages are summarized, namely, from the initial stage framework construction to the systematization and department improvement stage, and then to the stage of system upgrade based on scientific research breakthroughs, further, to refine and finalize the latest guidelines. Based on the Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support referred to in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement, and using the 2006 IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines, the specification and requirements for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories are systematically elaborated, the mandatory requirements (“shall”) and non-mandatory requirements (“should”, “may” and “encourage” ) in MPGs are compared and analyzed, and the institutional construction based on the design of “mandatory regulations plus flexibility mechanism” are revealed. Finally, it highlights the challenges China faces in transition from the 1996 Guidelines to the 2006 Guidelines while preparing the Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) and National Inventory Document (NID). It also proposes measures to address these issues and recommends accelerating the establishment of a greenhouse gas accounting and reporting system that meets the requirements of the MPGs with Chinese characteristics.

Key words: IPCC, Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines, Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs), Inventory compilation

GAO Qing-Xian. Review and prospects on Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines and Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support[J]. Climate Change Research, 2025, 21(5): 593-601.

Figures/Tables 7

Table 1 IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines and reports

Fig. 1 The contents of the MPG for the transparency framework

Fig. 2 Guidelines and requirements for National Greenhouse Gas Inventory reports under MPGs

Table 2 Requirements to national circumstances and institutional arrangements in MPGs

Table 3 Requirements for evaluating completeness in MPGs

Table 4 Requirements for submitting reports in MPGs

Fig. 3 The number of Chinese scientists involved in developing various inventory guidelines

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