TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring, reporting and verifying emissions in the climate economy
AU - Bellassen, Valentin
AU - Stephan, Nicolas
AU - Afriat, Marion
AU - Alberola, Emilie
AU - Barker, Alexandra
AU - Chang, Jean-Pierre
AU - Chiquet, Caspar
AU - Cochran, Ian
AU - Deheza, Mariana
AU - Dimopoulos, Christopher
AU - Foucherot, Claudine
AU - Jacquier, Guillaume
AU - Morel, Romain
AU - Robinson, Roderick
AU - Shishlov, Igor
PY - 2015/3/25
Y1 - 2015/3/25
N2 - The monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse-gas emissions is the cornerstone of carbon pricing and management mechanisms. Here we consider peer-reviewed articles and 'grey literature' related to existing MRV requirements and their costs. A substantial part of the literature is the regulatory texts of the 15 most important carbon pricing and management mechanisms currently implemented. Based on a comparison of key criteria such as the scope, cost, uncertainty and flexibility of procedures, we conclude that conventional wisdom on MRV is not often promoted in existing carbon pricing mechanisms. Quantification of emissions uncertainty and incentives to reduce this uncertainty are usually only partially applied, if at all. Further, the time and resources spent on small sources of emissions would be expected to be limited. Although provisions aiming at an effort proportionate to the amount of emissions at stake — 'materiality' — are widespread, they are largely outweighed by economies of scale: in all schemes, MRV costs per tonne are primarily driven by the size of the source.
AB - The monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse-gas emissions is the cornerstone of carbon pricing and management mechanisms. Here we consider peer-reviewed articles and 'grey literature' related to existing MRV requirements and their costs. A substantial part of the literature is the regulatory texts of the 15 most important carbon pricing and management mechanisms currently implemented. Based on a comparison of key criteria such as the scope, cost, uncertainty and flexibility of procedures, we conclude that conventional wisdom on MRV is not often promoted in existing carbon pricing mechanisms. Quantification of emissions uncertainty and incentives to reduce this uncertainty are usually only partially applied, if at all. Further, the time and resources spent on small sources of emissions would be expected to be limited. Although provisions aiming at an effort proportionate to the amount of emissions at stake — 'materiality' — are widespread, they are largely outweighed by economies of scale: in all schemes, MRV costs per tonne are primarily driven by the size of the source.
U2 - 10.1038/nclimate2544
DO - 10.1038/nclimate2544
M3 - Review article
SN - 1758-678X
VL - 5
SP - 319
EP - 328
JO - Nature Climate Change
JF - Nature Climate Change
ER -