INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE
NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES PROGRAMMEUNEPWMO

3rd Meeting of the Editorial Board & 2nd Meeting of the Steering Group of the
IPCC EMISSION FACTOR DATABASE
22-24 March, 2005, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
Hotel Rio Internacional
Av Atlântica, 1500 Copacabana,
CEP 22021-000
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Meeting Report
Introduction
1.

This joint meeting of the IPCC Emission Factor Database (EFDB)) Editorial Board andSteering Group was held on 22-24 March 2005 with the following objectives:•To decide any pending emission factor proposals•

To agree on revised data evaluation procedures and improved database populationi.

••

To discuss the causes of delay in data evaluation – current delays will
prevent the database from being effective, and to consider alternative
modalities to facilitate EFDB evaluationii.
To consider issues related to long-term development of the EFDB, including
the management structure of the EFDB♣
To consider strategies for population of the EFDB and cooperation with otherorganisations ♣To discuss future improvements in the database
i.

ii.

iii.

♣To evaluate the development of the database since the 2nd Session of theEditorial Board Meeting, including data incorporation of GPG-LULUCFemission factors and other parameters, and to discuss EFDB furtherdevelopment♣,
To discuss issues related to the ongoing project of the 2006 Guidelines, inparticular procedures to include the new/revised emission factors andparameters contained in the 2006 Guidelines in the EFDB♣
To improve user friendliness ♣2.

The participants were members of the IPCC EFDB Editorial Board and Steering Group
together with Invited Experts from the UNFCCC secretariat and the UNECE Task Force on
Emission Inventories and Projections (list of participants attached). The meeting was hosted
by Government of Brazil and organised by the Technical Support Unit of the IPCC National
Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme.

3.

Presentations were made by the TSU on:•

The status of the EFDB, its developments and status of new data approval.

•A new proposed management and data evaluation procedure.

•The potential inclusion of the FAO database as an example of bulk data entry.

•The relationship between the EFDB and the IPCC 2006 Guidelines on National

These items were considered by the steering group, with editorial board participation

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IPCC EFDB Editorial Board

3rd Meeting

22-24 March

Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories.
4.

Sectoral groups considered all the outstanding proposed new data and reached decisions onthem all (some of these decisions were pending additional information from data providers).

Results
5.

The Meeting identified the following problems:•The small number of data added beyond the IPCC Guidelines and CORINAIR reduces theutility of the database.

•The time taken to decide on data proposals is too long.

•Users find the existing procedures to submit data too complicated and, where they want tosubmit many data items, submission of all required parameters is far too time consuming.

6.

In order to address these issues, the meeting agreed to a new procedure for evaluating data
proposals. This is described in the separate document “Proposed Data Evaluation Procedure”.
This was agreed by the meeting and a finalised draft will be circulated within two weeks. This
document will be presented to the TFB for their approval.

7.

A revised Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Editorial Board will be drafted by the TSU,following finalisation of the proposed procedure, and will be circulated to Editorial Board
members. The new ToR will be presented to the TFB for their approval.

8.

A management plan, including ToR of the Management Group, will be drafted by the TSU
based on these documents for presentation to the TFB. This will need to include targets andresource issues.

9.

A number of specific actions were agreed at the meeting: Simplified data entry. This will be considered by the Editorial Board Co-Chairs and a
proposed simple form circulated to Editorial Board members for comment.
 Procedures to update existing records? This arises where there is a need to correct anentry or to add additional information. The approach should be to update the record
and to record this update action in the “date posted” field (in reverse chronologicalorder). This only applies to the addition of data, or the correction of mistakes, updated
information MUST be entered in a new record with the existing record marked as“superseded”.
 Simplified user guide. In order to address this, two steps will be undertaken by theTSU and Editorial Board Co-Chairs. Initially, a simplified web page will be prepared
to direct users to the information and to emphasise the properties field. In the longerterm, an improved user guide, focussing on data entry, is needed. When resource
issues are resolved this will be addressed.
 How to deal with entries that are equations not data points? This will be consideredby the Editorial Board Co-Chairs and TSU and a proposal circulated to the Editorial
Board within a month Entry of FAO database. This will be considered by the TSU and Editorial Board CoChairs proposing the best way to include equations in the EFDB. The Editorial Board
Co-Chairs and TSU will continue to evaluate the FAO data submissions, and a draft
decision will be prepared for evaluation and approval by the Editorial Board.
 Remind 2006 Guidelines CLAs of need to fill in data form. This will be brought tothe attention of the CLAs by the TSU.
 The status of 1996 and 2006 Guidelines data . Default and higher tier data from the2006 Guidelines will be included without further evaluation by the Editorial Board(review and agreement by the Lead Authors, Expert reviews and Government Review
is judged to be sufficient). Where this data supersedes data from the 1996 Guidelines
or the two good practice reports the earlier entries need to be revised to include a note
indicating they are “obsolete”, “updated” or “revised in 2006 guidelines” asappropriate. Data for higher tiers in the 2006 Guidelines that are not included in theIPCC - NGGIP - TSU

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IPCC EFDB Editorial Board

3rd Meeting

22-24 March

Guidelines themselves should, in principle, be included after evaluation by theEditorial Board in the normal way. However, it should be noted that where these havebeen compiled by the appropriate authors of the Guidelines and documentation
provided, they will be very likely accepted. To this end, TSU should check the statusof 1996 Guidelines data in consultation with CLAs.
Nominations
10. The NGGIP will ask governments to nominate the Editorial Board for a new term starting inNovember 20051. Existing members can be re-nominated and governments should bereminded, in the invitation letter for nominations, of the need of continuity as experience isdeveloping in the running of the EFDB.

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It should be noted that the Co-chairs of the Editorial Board are to become the members of the Management
Group.

IPCC - NGGIP - TSU

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