What is the accuracy level of data for monitoring agricultural greenhouse gas emissions of countries?

The limited accuracy and transparency of national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions limits climate action, particularly in the agriculture and land use sector.

Inconsistent and inadequate reporting by low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), uncertainty in reported data, and a lack of robust activity data and locally defined emission factors were found to limit effective policy actions. Greenhouse gas inventories are the basis for accounting for and tracking progress toward mitigation goals, and decision-makers must have access to reliable, readable, and consistent data to make informed decisions.

A review of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) data reported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and three independent global databases provides an in-depth analysis and inventory of reporting issues affecting national GHG inventories. The inventories were of quality and consistency with the aim of enabling better use of data and tracking progress towards climate change mitigation goals.

The findings show a reporting gap for low- and middle-income countries in UNFCCC data, highlighting the need for more consistent reporting methodologies, particularly for managing food security and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Therefore policy and decision makers should use independent non-UNFCCC emissions databases to triangulate UNFCCC data for emissions decisions.

Lead author Kyle Detmer explained, “Other analyzes show a general lack of quality in UNFCCC reporting. The data in the UNFCCC should be the most formal, but they are often incomplete and illegible in Sometimes we’ve identified certain areas to improve consistency.” Some examples of what affected the quality of country reporting included errors and underreporting numbers, inconsistent global warming potentials, and clarity.

The authors make recommendations about how inventories can be enhanced to drive progress toward goals rather than limit work. Detmer also said that “developed countries should step up their technical and financial support to low- and middle-income countries to establish and maintain the institutional capacity, tools and training to prepare accurate and transparent national greenhouse gas inventories.”

Developed countries cannot continue to fall short of their pledges on climate finance. Ambitious financial and technical support is needed for low- and middle-income countries to meet rich countries’ commitment to the Paris Agreement so that decision-makers can accurately track progress and prioritize mitigation and emissions management.

Research published in Frontiers in sustainable food systems.