UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory

To provide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Air Quality Pollutant Inventories to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), respectively. These inventories will enable the UK Government to better understand UK GHG and air quality pollutant emissions, track the effectiveness of policies designed to mitigate them and meet domestic and international reporting requirements.

DECC

In order to meet UNFCCC and EU reporting obligations, as well as meet the needs of the UK Climate Change Act, the UK is required to produce an Inventory of GHGs by source and sink, covering the period 1990 to the latest Inventory year (current year – 2). This Inventory must adhere to UNFCCC reporting guidelines and IPCC (2006) methodological guidelines, and the compilation of the Inventory must meet the strict and challenging deadlines of the international reporting cycle. International Inventory submission will consist of a National Inventory Report (NIR) and Common Reporting Framework (CRF) data tables.

In addition to the Inventory itself, there will be a need to use and adapt the underlying database to meet a number of additional requirements:

•Data to support DECC’s National Statistics on GHG emissions •Spatially distributed emissions maps

•Local Authority emissions statistics

•Devolved Administration GHG emissions inventories

Defra

The UK submits air quality emissions estimates on an annual basis to the EC, under the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (NECD) and the UNECE under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). These submissions are supported by an Informative Inventory Report, detailing the methodologies used to derive the Inventory data. In addition, the Air Quality Pollutant Inventory helps Government track pollutant emissions (both now and in the future), and supports modelling of pollutant concentrations in order to measure compliance with air quality standards. Compilation has to be in line with UNECE good practice guidance and EMEP/EEA air pollutant emission inventory guidebook.

As with the GHG Inventory, there are additional requirements to be met:

•Data to support Defra’s National Statistics on air pollutant emissions.

•Spatially distributed emissions maps

•Devolved Administration air quality pollutant emissions inventories

The contract is expected to run for 3.5 years with an option to extend for a further year. (see additional info for more)