‘Numbers, People, Papers’: Components and linkages of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) at different levels
Monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) is a primary and necessary component of all types of policies and programs aimed at reducing GHG emissions. The overall concept of MRV comprises greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and trends, emission reductions from public and private mitigation policies and actions, non-GHG-related development impacts of mitigation actions, and, in the case of NAMAs, finance, capacity, and technology support. Ultimately, it is needed in order to track progress toward meeting global mitigation goals.
The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of key elements of MRV of GHG emissions and emissions reductions at different levels, and explore similarities and differences. The goal is to identify opportunities to coordinate and integrate components of MRV systems that serve different purposes. Establishing integrated MRV systems has the potential to facilitate a country’s effort to make the impacts of mitigation policies transparent and tangible, contributing to their goal to achieve national emissions reduction targets.
This paper focuses on data management processes and institutional and legal/regulatory arrangements related to MRV of GHG emissions and emissions reductions at the national level, NAMA level and facility level. It has been produced to support the Latin American Regional Workshop on ‘MRV of NAMAs as a key element of National MRV Systems’ (6-8 March 2014, Mexico City) and comprises a summary of the workshop’s main outputs, including references to practical experiences within and from outside the region.