17 November 2015: The UNFCCC Secretariat has a released a document (FCCC/SBSTA/2015/INF.9) on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory review activities for consideration by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) at its 43rd session. Annexed to the document are the conclusions and recommendations from the 12th meeting of GHG inventory lead reviewers held in Bonn, Germany, on 2-3 March 2015.

In addition to requesting the annual report and specifying that it should include recommendations from meetings of lead reviewers participating in the technical review of GHG inventories from Annex I Parties, the Conference of the Parties (COP) also asked that it contain information on the inventory review training programme and the composition of expert review teams (ERTs). At the SBSTA’s request the document also includes information on progress in updating the roster of experts.

The report covers the 2014 and 2015 review cycles and plans for the 2016 cycle, displaying the dates of submissions from Parties and review dates in table form. The Secretariat notes that the report should be read in conjunction with the document ‘Annual Report on the Technical Review of GHG Inventories and Other Information Reported by Parties Included in Annex I as Defined in Article 1, Paragraph 7, of the Kyoto Protocol’ (FCCC/SBSTA/2015/INF.10) explaining that the lessons learned and problems encountered in the Convention’s review process are similar to those under the Kyoto Protocol.

In reviewing the roster, the Secretariat notes an insufficient number of experts from which it can select select eligible participants for the GHG inventory reviews. The document details the training programmes in place for experts, as well as review tools and materials.

SBSTA 43 will take place 1-4 December 2015 in Paris, France, in conjunction with COP 21. [Annual Report on the Technical Review of GHG Inventories of Parties Included in Annex I to the Convention]