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This fast-track consensus study will develop a framework for evaluating global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) information to support decision making. The committee will examine emerging approaches that supplement self-reported data with other independent data sources in the development and evaluation of global anthropogenic GHG emissions inventories. This study is being conducted on an accelerated timeline in order to inform COP27 discussions in November 2022, will result in a framework for evaluating emissions inventories and information, and include several case studies for how such a framework could be applied in practice to specific sector- or country-based emission inventories.
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Consensus
·2022
Climate change, driven by increases in human-produced greenhouse gases and particles (collectively referred to as GHGs), is the most serious environmental issue facing society. The need to reduce GHGs has become urgent as heat waves, heavy rain events, and other impacts of climate change have become...
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Description
An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will develop a framework for evaluating global anthropogenic greenhouse gas information to support decision making. Specifically, the committee will:
- Describe approaches used to develop global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions inventories, including the use of surveys, continuous emissions monitoring systems, monitoring fuel sales, self-reported data, ground- and airborne-based measurements, satellite-based remote sensing data, artificial intelligence and computer vision, proxy and activity data, crowd sourcing, inverse modeling, additional sources of emissions information, and data fusion approaches.
- Discuss the potential uses and limitations of these approaches, including issues related to:
- developing global emissions inventories for all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions;
- the independence, transparency, granularity, internal consistency, comparability, and completeness of data sources;
- measures of accuracy and uncertainty of the modeling and analytic tools used to interpret and extrapolate available data;
- potential biases introduced by limitations in data availability, model design, or analytic frameworks; and,
- synthesis, integration, and dynamic updates of the best available information.
- Provide a framework to evaluate emissions information and inventories, including guidance for policy makers about their use in decision making.
- Present several case studies to demonstrate how the framework could be applied to evaluate emissions information and inventory approaches and identify strengths and opportunities for improvement for each case study.
- To the extent possible, identify ways to improve methodological transparency, sustainability and continuity of relevant observations, and product confidence in global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions inventories, including key data gaps that could be addressed, improvements needed in models and analytical tools, and opportunities for collaboration among data providers, researchers, regulatory agencies, and decision-makers.
Contributors
Committee
Chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Rachel Silvern
Staff Officer
Conflict of Interest Disclosure
The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual’s actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.
Mr. George has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Development of a Framework for Evaluating Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information for Decision Making because of his current employment at Cheniere Energy Inc., and his ownership of shares in Kinder Morgan.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person who has current experience within the oil and natural gas sector focusing on anthropogenic methane emissions, and specifically emissions monitoring and accounting practices in industry. As described in his biographical summary, Mr. George has current experience as Senior Director of Climate and Sustainability at Cheniere Energy in corporate sustainability, regulatory and policy experience in the lifecycle of natural gas production, and methane emissions monitoring and inventories, and has 27 years of industry experience focused in these areas.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Mr. George is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.
The National Academies believes that Mr. George can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.
Dr. Gurney has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the Committee on Development of a Framework for Evaluating Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Information for Decision Making because he is a co-founder of Crosswalk Labs, which distributes a data product of estimated CO2 emissions.
The National Academies has concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person who has current experience developing and using data mining and assimilation algorithms and associated emissions inventory products as well as uses of greenhouse gas information. As described in his biographical summary, Dr. Gurney has current direct experience developing tools to generate estimates of CO2 emissions at Crosswalk Labs, and his current research focuses on measuring and quantifying elements of the global carbon cycle using a variety of data/model fusion approaches. Using data mining and assimilation algorithms, these very high-resolution greenhouse gas quantification products are being used by analysts, scientists, and governments for emissions mitigation planning, tracking and assessment.
The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Dr. Gurney is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who does not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable.
The National Academies believes that Dr. Gurney can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.
Sponsors
Benificus Foundation
Heising-Simons Foundation
National Academy of Sciences Arthur L. Day Fund
Staff
Rachel Silvern
Lead
Rob Greenway
Amanda Staudt
Sabah Rana
Patricia Razafindrambinina
Bridget Ann McGovern