Topic D3. Database development of IPCC emission factors and activity data for wetlands

Randy Kolka and Louis Verchot

Topic D3. Slide 2 of 21

IPCC guidelines for national GHG inventories

 IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) produces guidelines on compiling estimates of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals in a standardized way to ensure transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency and comparability between countries  The IPCC Guidelines are intended to be used by all Parties to the UNFCCC • They provide default data and methods • They allow the use of more sophisticated methods if countries wish to use them and they are consistent with the guidelines  The IPCC has developed guidance on emission factors and activity data to help countries account for the greenhouse gas inventories/

Topic D3. Slide 3 of 21

Basic approach for GHG accounting

 Select approach based on available data • A simple first order approach that uses spatially coarse default data based on globally available data characterized by large uncertainties and sometimes with methods involving several simplifying assumptions • A more accurate approach substituting country or region specific values for the general defaults and more disaggregated activity data characterized by relatively smaller uncertainties • Higher order methods involving detailed modeling and/or inventory measurement systems driven by data at a greater resolution that provide estimates with lower uncertainties than the previous two methods  Assess changes in land management or land use – Land based or activity data-based accounting  Apply emission factors (database)

Topic D3. Slide 4 of 21 

Definitions

Emission factor: An emission factor is the rate of emission per unit of activity , output or input.

 Land-based accounting: Assess carbon stock change in applicable carbon pools on land units subject to Kyoto activities. Implementing land-based accounting involves first identifying land units on which applicable activities occur.  Activity data-based accounting: Assess carbon stock change attributable to designated LULUCF activities . First, each applicable activity's impact on carbon stocks is determined per unit area. This impact is multiplied by the area on which each activity occurs.  IPCC only considers changes to managed systems , not unmanaged systems that might be changing as a result of natural or anthropogenic causes.

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Developing emission factors Stock-change approach Flux difference approach

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Emission Factor Data Base

A recognized library, where users can find emission factors and other parameters with background documentation or technical references that can be used for estimating greenhouse gas (CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) emissions and removals.

http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/EFDB/main.php

Broken down by: • activity data (e.g. conversion of wetland to grassland) • • ecosystem (e.g. forest vs grasslands) geography/climate (e.g. tropical vs temperate) • • soil type (e.g. mineral vs organic) emissions from fire, and others. When there is enough data in the literature to support an emission factor Needs periodic updating as the scientific literature emerges.

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Tracking changes in carbon & nitrogen pools

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Tracking land-use data

Countries use methods including census, surveys and remote sensing to obtain land-use area data.

Assessments over multiple years allows changes in land-use (or activity) to be detected.

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Tracking land-use and activity data

Initial Land Areas Forest Land (unmanaged) Forest Land (managed, rain forest) Forest Land (managed, peat bog) Forest land (Mangrove) Forest Land (managed, plantation) Grassland Cropland Wetlands Settlements Other Land Initial area Net change 12 12 0 43 10 1 1 6 1 1 55 -12 8 -2 61 17 29 1 61 0 18 11 29 0 1 1 2 1 5 5 0 2 2 2 2 2 0 12 43 6 61 29 29 3 5 4 2

Topic D3. Slide 10 of 21

Reporting GHG emissions

ha/y x ton/ha = ton/y

Topic D3. Slide 11 of 21

Specific guidance For wetlands Forest land

• All woody vegetation according to national definitions

Cropland

• Crops including rice and agroforestry not included above

Grassland

• All rangelands and pastures not included above

Settlements Wetlands

• Wetlands not included above (peat use and flooded lands)

Other Lands

• Includes bare soil, rock, ice and lands not included above

Topic D3. Slide 12 of 21 

Specific guidance for wetlands

Wetlands (as a reporting category) include any land that is covered or saturated by water for all or part of the year.

 Guidance is restricted to managed wetlands where the water table is artificially changed or wetlands are created through human activity (e.g. damming a river and reservoirs)  Emissions from unmanaged wetlands such as natural rivers and lakes are not reported

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IPCC guide for wetlands - 2006

Topic D3. Slide 14 of 21

Bonn IPCC meeting 2011

    Identified the limitations of the IPCC 2006 for GHGs National Inventory Invited IPCC to hold an expert meeting to “

explore the need to clarify methodological issues related to...wetlands…

Led to the development of the “ Wetland Supplement ” 90 authors from 32 countries

Topic D3. Slide 15 of 21

2013 Supplement to the 2006 IPCC guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories: Wetlands

Topic D3. Slide 16 of 21

Decision Tree For Guidance within The Wetlands Supplement or the 2006 IPCC Guidelines

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Hypothetical example – Tropical peatlands

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Carbon-CO 2 Emission factors for tropical peatlands

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C-CO 2 Emissions From Managed and Converted Tropical Peatlands

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References

[IPCC] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Emission factor database.

nggip.iges.or.jp/EFDB/main.php

http://www.ipcc [IPCC] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2006.

Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Volume 4: Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Landuse

. Paris: OECD.

Hiraishi T, Krug T, Tanabe K, Srivastava N, Baasansuren J, Fukuda M, and Troxler, T. (eds). 2013.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Supplement to the 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands

. Switzerland: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Thank you

The Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation and Mitigation Program (SWAMP) is a collaborative effort by CIFOR, the USDA Forest Service, and the Oregon State University with support from USAID.

How to cite this file

Kolka R. and Verchot L. 2015. IPCC emissions factors and activity data for wetlands [PowerPoint presentation]. In: SWAMP toolbox: Theme D section D3. Retrieved from .

Photo credit

Aam Gynch/CIFOR, Aulia Erlangga/CIFOR, James Maiden/CIFOR, Kate Evans/CIFOR, Neil Palmer/CIAT, Ollivier Girard/CIFOR, Randy Kolka/CIFOR, Ricky Martin/bOBO , Sigit D.Sasmito/CIFOR