Best Practices for Preparation of GHG Inventory for Industrial Processes

Abstract

The greenhouse gases (GHG) inventory is among the main issues to be reported and analysed in the National Communications submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A complete and transparent national GHG inventory is an essential tool for understanding emissions and trends, projecting future emissions and identifying sectors for cost-effective emission reduction opportunities, as well as for designing appropriate climate change policies – reflective to the country specifics and, at the same time, responsive to the international requirements. Industrial processes are among the sectors covered by the national GHG inventories, accounting for emissions produced as by-products of various non-energy-related industrial activities and are not directly a result of energy consumed during the process. Although with relatively lower contribution to the total GHG emissions compared to energy sector, the industrial processes sector is of particular interest since, in most countries, the emission calculation is challenged by high level of uncertainty and limited availability of activity data, need for new ways of data collection and management, as well as for country specific emission factors. The main goal of this paper is to highlight the good practices and lessons learned regarding the GHG inventory for industrial processes in the case of the Republic of Macedonia. The way many of the challenges have been addressed shows solutions and initiatives, including application of more complex methodology for uncertainty estimation, establishing a network of industrial stakeholders, designing a software tool for data collection and developing country specific emission factors for the key source categories. Mapping the way towards these achievements, the paper could serve well for countries with similar national circumstances and priorities.