2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The 26th Meeting of Task Force Bureau (TFB) (28 – 29 August 2014, Ottawa) concluded that:

• The 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006 IPCC Guidelines) provide a technically sound methodological basis of national greenhouse gas inventories, and therefore fundamental revision is unnecessary.
• To maintain the scientific validity of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, certain refinements may be required, taking into account scientific and other technical advances that have matured sufficiently since 2006.

Following these conclusions by the TFB and approval by the IPCC at its 40th Session, the TFI started a technical assessment of IPCC Inventory Guidelines through an on-line questionnaire survey and four expert meetings in 2015 and 2016. The Co-Chairs’ summaries of these four meetings can be found below in the Supporting Documents section. The technical assessment revealed that there has been abundant new scientific and empirical knowledge published since 2006 which the IPCC should take into account, particularly with respect to data for emissions factor development for some categories and gases. Consequently, the necessity and usefulness of refining the current methodological guidance (e.g. updating default emission factors) has been recognized by TFB. Such refinement will help all UNFCCC Parties use good practice inventory methodologies based on up-to-date scientific knowledge.

Based on the decision of the IPCC at its 43rd session in April 2016, a Scoping Meeting was held to prepare an outline of the Methodology Report to refine the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

The conclusions of this Scoping Meeting were submitted to the IPCC for consideration at its 44th Session. At this session, IPCC decided (Decision IPCC/XLIV-5) to prepare a Methodology Report with the following title and format:

• The format should be one single Methodology Report comprising an Overview Chapter and five volumes following the format of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006 IPCC Guidelines).
• The title of the Methodology Report should be “2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories”.
• The decision also included a Draft Table of Contents (TOC) and “Terms of Reference for the production of a Methodology Report to refine the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories” (TOR).

The overall aim is to provide an updated and sound scientific basis for supporting the preparation and continuous improvement of national GHG inventories.

The 2019 Refinement was not to revise the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, but update, supplement and/or elaborate the 2006 IPCC Guidelines where gaps or out-of-date science have been identified. It will not replace the 2006 IPCC Guidelines. It should be used in conjunction with the 2006 IPCC Guidelines.

From the 328 nominations received from governments, observer organizations and Bureau members, 190 experts were selected as Authors and Review Editors by the TFB in accordance with the Principles Governing IPCC Work.

The authors started drafting the 2019 Refinement at the First Lead Author Meeting in June 2017 in Bilbao, Spain. The final draft was considered by the IPCC for adoption/acceptance at its 49th Plenary Session in May 2019.

* As to peer-reviewed papers, those accepted by the journals by 25 June 2018, even if not yet published, can be used in the 2019 Refinement. As to non-peer-reviewed documents, those made publicly available by 25 June 2018 can be used.