25 March 2014: The UNFCCC Secretariat has released two documents relating to the review of Annex I parties’ greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories under the work programme on the revision of the guidelines for the review of Annex I parties’ biennial reports and national communications, including national inventories.

Under the work programme on the revision of review guidelines, the Conference of the Parties (COP), on the basis of the recommendation by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), adopted Decision 23/CP.19 on guidelines for the technical review of information reported under the Convention related to Annex I GHG inventories, biennial reports and national communications, with an annex containing a placeholder for Annex I GHG inventory review guidelines.

The SBSTA, at its 39th session, invited parties to submit their views on the structure, outline, key elements, including the purpose and scope of the review, timing and reporting, and content of the review guidelines for GHG inventories. The SBSTA requested the Secretariat to prepare a synthesis report of parties’ views, as well as a draft of the revised guidelines based on these views.

The Secretariat has now published the synthesis report (FCCC/SBSTA/2014/INF.3) and the draft revised review guidelines (FCCC/SBSTA/2014/INF.4). Both documents will be used as input to the second technical workshop under the work programme on the revision of review guidelines, to be held from 8-10 April 2014, in Bonn, Germany. [Publication: Synthesis Report on Parties’ Views of the Review Guidelines for Annex I GHG Inventories] [Publication: Draft Revised Guidelines for the Technical Review of Annex I GHG Inventories]