EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Background to Workshop Ann Gardiner

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Why do we need it? wTo understand what action is needed in the EU to meet the Kyoto Commitment wWhat will happen if –No new action is taken by Member States (MS) –MS and EC implement planned measures –MS and EC implement new measures wTo understand what action is needed in the EU to meet the Kyoto Commitment wWhat will happen if –No new action is taken by Member States (MS) –MS and EC implement planned measures –MS and EC implement new measures

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE What do we want to do? wBasic comparisons - do MS and EU projections match? wDo we understand differences? wDo we understand uncertainty? wCan we reduce uncertainty? wCan we quantify proposed policies and measures? wBasic comparisons - do MS and EU projections match? wDo we understand differences? wDo we understand uncertainty? wCan we reduce uncertainty? wCan we quantify proposed policies and measures?

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE How?How? wFirst step - improve reporting on transparency, completeness and comparability? wSpread Best Practice? wFirst step - improve reporting on transparency, completeness and comparability? wSpread Best Practice?

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Reporting requirements wAnnual report to Monitoring Mechanism - can be the National Climate Change Programmes or National Communications to UNFCCC wReporting requirements given in Guidelines agreed by Working Groups I and II and the Committee wLargely based on UNFCCC guidelines wAnnual report to Monitoring Mechanism - can be the National Climate Change Programmes or National Communications to UNFCCC wReporting requirements given in Guidelines agreed by Working Groups I and II and the Committee wLargely based on UNFCCC guidelines

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Projections reporting 2000 wReasonable response from MS (extended deadline) but transparency and completeness of information variable wMost useful information from National Climate Change Programmes ( wMost useful information from National Climate Change Programmes (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, UK) wDescription and analysis of projections limited wReasonable response from MS (extended deadline) but transparency and completeness of information variable wMost useful information from National Climate Change Programmes ( wMost useful information from National Climate Change Programmes (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, UK) wDescription and analysis of projections limited

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Projections reporting 2001 wReporting by deadline not improved wTransparency, completeness and comparability not improved except where National Climate Change Programmes provided (Finland and Ireland in 2001) wQuestionnaire to MS to obtain underlying information to improve Commission’s analysis of the projections wEC report timing out of sequence with 3rd NC to UNFCCC wReporting by deadline not improved wTransparency, completeness and comparability not improved except where National Climate Change Programmes provided (Finland and Ireland in 2001) wQuestionnaire to MS to obtain underlying information to improve Commission’s analysis of the projections wEC report timing out of sequence with 3rd NC to UNFCCC

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Questionnaire 2001 wAim to improve transparency of MS reporting wTried to define important elements of the reporting wAEAT and FhG-ISI used available information under the Monitoring Mechanism to fill in as much as possible wSent to MS to fill in the rest wAim to improve transparency of MS reporting wTried to define important elements of the reporting wAEAT and FhG-ISI used available information under the Monitoring Mechanism to fill in as much as possible wSent to MS to fill in the rest

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Problems in 2001 wFive MS did not reply to questionnaire (Spain, Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg, Austria) - limited extra information in most replies wSome questions not well enough specified wComparability can not be solved through questionnaires (e.g. sector definitions for projections), other solutions needed (e.g. Good Practice Guidance) wFive MS did not reply to questionnaire (Spain, Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg, Austria) - limited extra information in most replies wSome questions not well enough specified wComparability can not be solved through questionnaires (e.g. sector definitions for projections), other solutions needed (e.g. Good Practice Guidance)

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE Outcome in 2001 wProjections from Member States were only comparable for a few sectors and even then not all Member States were covered (see draft EEA report) wKey assumptions: GDP was available for 12 MS, international oil prices for 10 and population for 9 wProjections from Member States were only comparable for a few sectors and even then not all Member States were covered (see draft EEA report) wKey assumptions: GDP was available for 12 MS, international oil prices for 10 and population for 9

EUROPEAN TOPIC CENTRE ON AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE DiscussionDiscussion wCan we agree sector definitions for reporting of projections - IPCC? wCan we improve reporting requirements - transparency and comparability (i.e. more prescriptive)? wHow do we spread best practice? wCan we agree sector definitions for reporting of projections - IPCC? wCan we improve reporting requirements - transparency and comparability (i.e. more prescriptive)? wHow do we spread best practice?