Reporting requirements and review of the LULUCF Sector By Jenny L P Wong Methods, Inventories and Science UNFCCC Secretariat Improving the Quality of Community GHG Inventories and Projections for the LULUCF Sector Ispra, Italy September 2005

Timeline of Decisions at the COP Inventories reported annually since 1997 COP5 (1999): trial period of GHG reporting and review COP8 (2002): Revised reporting and review guidelines –Decision 18/CP.8 –Annex I Parties should use the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories to prepare inventories due by 15 April each year COP9 (2003): Completed the tables of the CRF for reporting the LULUCF sector (Decision 13/CP.9) By same decision, Annex I Parties should use the IPCC GPG for LULUCF for preparing inventories under UNFCCC, in 2005 and beyond LULUCF tables incorporated into reporting guidelines

UNFCCC inventory reporting guidelines (FCCC/SBSTA/2004/8) Principles: transparency, consistency, comparability, completeness and accuracy Common Reporting Format and National Inventory Report Use of IPCC Guidelines and good practice guidance Detailed reporting of inventory data Description of methods Transparent reporting of recalculations

Common Reporting Format Provides a standardized framework for reporting mostly quantitative data Facilitates: Submission of annual inventory data in a standardized/uniform format by Annex I Parties Quick identification of possible errors and/or omissions Comparison of aggregate activity data and implied emission factors over time and across Parties

Reporting Requirements – CRF for LULUCF 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 N 2 O emissions from N fertilization Table 5(II): N 2 O emissions from drainage of soils Table 5(III):N 2 O emissions from disturbance associated with land use conversion to cropland Table 5(IV): C emissions from agricultural lime application Table 5(V): Biomass burning

National Inventory Report Description of methodologies : Assumptions References of sources, emission factors, activity data and rationale for their selection Key category analysis Uncertainties Quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedures Improvements & changes in response to findings of previous reviews

Requirements for LULUCF sector - NIR Chapter 7 LULUCF (CRF Sector 5) Description of land-use definitions, land-use classification, methods, AD and parameters used (transparency) Additional information on disaggregation of subdivisions Information on incomplete reporting, gaps, other irregularities (completeness, comparability) Reporting has links to Agriculture sector. Information on how double counting and omissions between the two sectors avoided Information on improvements planned Information on difficulties with the new reporting format

Cross cutting issues in Reporting Key (source) categories first identified excluding LULUCF, then key category analysis repeated for full inventory including LULUCF category Identify subcategories as key if they account for % of overall emissions or removals of the category Level and trend assessment of contribution of each LULUCF category

Cross-cutting issues in Reporting Uncertainties in estimated C stock changes, emissions and removals from LULUCF activities associated with area or other activity data, biomass growth rates, expansion factors and other coefficients QA/QC Plan should describe specific QC and QA procedures for LULUCF source and sink categories that have been or will be implemented.

Cross-cutting issues in Reporting Report using LULUCF CRF for all years If a Party does not, and has not recalculated estimates for LULUCF for these years, it should provide information on mapping categories in GPG to LUCF categories (5A to 5E) in 1996 GL. (for time series consistency) Party should include information on how it calculated totals for forest and grassland conversion. (para. 14, Annex II: Notes on the CRF, UNFCCC guidelines) Time series consistency: good practice to apply improved methods and data when available – recalculations using trend extrapolation, overlap method, extrapolation

Some Key Issues in LULUCF Reporting C emissions from agricultural lime application included in LULUCF sector. Can be reported by land use category (cropland & grassland) or as total for all land use categories. New categories such as N 2 O from fertilizer application to forest soils require information on whole time series Be aware of categories for reporting in LULUCF sector and other categories for reporting in Agriculture sector. Agricultural non-CO 2 emissions such as enteric fermentation, manure management, rice cultivation, emissions from savanna and agriculture residues burning, and direct and indirect N 2 O emissions from agricultural soils, are reported in the Agriculture sector.

Some Key Issues in LULUCF Reporting In the reporting, be aware that not all categories are mandatory, Optional reporting categories include HWP, N 2 O emissions from drainage of forest soils, wetlands remaining wetlands, settlements remaining settlements (these categories form the basis for future methodological development)

Reporting Requirements – Forest Land Provide national definitions of forest land and subcategories in NIR Land converted to forest land: Report under conversion status for 20 years. After 20 years, land areas reported as forest land remaining forest land Non-CO 2 gases reported in forest fertilization 5 (I), forest fires 5 (V) and drainage of forest soils 5 (II) CO 2 emissions from liming on forest land reported in 5 (IV) under category 5.G Other CO 2 emissions from forest fires can be reported either under 5.A or 5 (V). Clearly document in documentation box and NIR. If not able to separate fertilizer applied to forest from that applied in agriculture, report all N 2 O emissions from fertilization in Agriculture sector. Use notation keys. Provide explanation in documentation box. Explain in NIR.

Reporting Requirements – Forest Land If estimates for land converted to forest land are provided as a total, then information on types of land conversion should be provided in documentation box Increases and decreases in C stocks in living biomass should be reported separately, except due to method, not possible to separate these If using IPCC Tier 1, ensure method is appropriate for national circumstances, not a key category and use appropriate default parameters

Reporting Requirements – Forest Land If Party uses higher tiers (2 or 3) for estimation, provide proper documentation of national parameters, forest inventory methodology (sampling and frequency), model assumptions and key parameters Methodology and definitions should be the same throughout time series Trend of increment in forest growing stock, area information should be explained in NIR

Reporting Requirements – Cropland (CRF 5.B) Pools to report as C stock changes: soil organic carbon and living biomass (perennial woody biomass). Dead organic matter not required for cropland remaining cropland CO 2 emissions from liming N 2 O emissions from disturbance due to land converted to cropland Non-CO 2 emissions from biomass burning on land converted to cropland. Biomass burning (field burning of agriculture residues) on cropland remaining cropland reported in Agriculture sector.

Reporting Requirements – Grassland (CRF 5.C) Pools to report as C stock changes: soil organic carbon and living biomass. Dead organic matter not required for grassland remaining grassland CO 2 emissions from liming (but usually not significant) Non-CO 2 emissions from burning of grasslands outside the tropics Non-CO 2 emissions from burning on land converted to grasslands

Reporting Requirements – Cropland and Grassland Methodologies, AD and parameters under development for many countries Any significant deviation from default parameters in GPG LULUCF should be explained in NIR If emissions or removals are significant, development of area specific activity data on management activities and land-use changes important for more accurate estimates Methodologies for mineral soils need data for period of 20 years or more. If only periodic data available, ensure time series consistency Explain effect of recalculation on level and trend of estimates

Review Process Initial check of annual inventory: –Completeness and correctness of format (CRF) –Status report for each Party on UNFCCC web site within 7 weeks of submission date Synthesis & Assessment Report Part I –Compiles and compares inventory data and other information across Parties Synthesis & Assessment Report Part II –Identifies issues for further consideration during individual review stage –Provided to both Party concerned and ERT Review Handbook – LULUCF sector updated accordingly for 2005 reviews

Individual Reviews Conducted by experts nominated by Parties. ERT = Lead reviewers + sectoral experts (energy, industrial processes, agriculture, LULUCF, Waste) Only countries that have submitted NIR Detailed examination of the inventory estimates, procedures and methodologies used 39 out of 40 Annex I Parties submitted their inventory for Annex I Parties submitted their inventory for the LULUCF sector using the tables of the CRF in accordance with Decision 13/CP.9 First time LULUCF sector, following GPG LULUCF and using CRF agreed in Decision 13/CP.9, will be reviewed

Individual Review Use of IPCC methods and good practice guidance: –Identification and prioritisation of key source categories –Methodological choice –Collection of activity data –Documentation and archives (in-country) –QA/QC Procedures –Uncertainties –Time-series consistency –Recalculations Follow-up on previously identified problems

LULUCF Review Training Training for LULUCF review experts – to prepare reviewers for the review of the LULUCF sector following GPG LULUCF and the new reporting framework (decision 13/CP.9) Reviewers follow 2-month on-line course on the LULUCF sector, available on the ECLC web site Module provides background information and guidance on how to review the LULUCF inventory of Annex I Parties Consists of 10 lessons, include self check quizzes, exercises and a case study. Send to to gain PIN access to LULUCF on-line

Expectations for 2006 Parties made submissions on experiences on use of CRF LULUCF (FCCC/SBSTA/ 2005/MISC.7). Possible modifications. Finalization of CRF tables (following discussions at SBSTA 23) but format apply to inventories due in 2007 LULUCF module integrated into CRF Reporter v.2. Software available to Parties now.

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