National emissions inventory
A country's account of greenhouse gas emissions and removals under defined reporting rules.
Example
Inventories usually group sources by sectors and report time series.
The catch
Territorial accounting differs from a consumption-based footprint.
Related terms
Greenhouse gas, Reporting, 1.5°C goal, Carbon pricing, Carbon tax, Climate justice
In more depth
National emissions inventory, explained.
A national emissions inventory is recalculated back through its whole time series whenever methods improve, so the figure for a past year can change between editions. That rule keeps trends consistent and stops a change of method from masquerading as progress.
Most entries come from multiplying activity data, such as fuel burned or livestock numbers, by an emission factor. Countries are expected to use more detailed, country-specific methods for their largest sources. Some conventions surprise readers. Fuel for international flights and shipping is reported as a memo item outside national totals. Land use and forestry are often shown separately, and a headline with or without them can tell different stories. When quoting a total, say which version you mean.