Concerns about climate change have prompted many nations to track their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the impact of their efforts to reduce those emissions. Domestic systems to measure, report, and verify (MRV) GHG emissions and mitigation outcomes help countries meet their domestic policy objectives by informing the development, tracking progress in implementation, and evaluating the outcomes of climate mitigation policies. Domestic MRV systems can also build trust among nations, provide confidence in the effectiveness of international agreements, and inform the design of such agreements.

CPI has engaged in an effort to characterize, evaluate, and draw insights from existing domestic MRV systems for emissions and mitigation actions in four of the major emitters – China, Germany, Italy, and the United States.

Its first report, “Tracking Emissions and Mitigation Actions: Current Practice in China, Germany, Italy, and the United States” surveys the systems already in place in these countries, describes the practices and institutions involved, and highlights common objectives that all four countries are pursuing.

The second report, “Tracking Emissions and Mitigation Actions: Evaluation of MRV Systems in China, Germany, Italy, and the United States,” evaluates the transparency, comparability, reliability, usefulness, timeliness, and completeness of those systems.

A third report “Meeting Emerging MRV Needs in China, Germany, Italy, and the United States: Are Countries Prepared?” reviews emerging national and international needs for MRV and presents recommendations for national action.