What is the UNFCCC GHG data interface?
The UNFCCC GHG data interface is a simple but powerful and user-friendly online tool that is designed to provide access to, search and sort available GHG inventory data submitted by countries that are Parties to the Convention.

What kind of internet browser do you need to run the online GHG data interface?
The online GHG data interface has been tested with Internet Explorer version 6.0 and/or higher and Mozilla Firefox version 2.0 and/or higher. It is required that your browser's JavaScript option be turned on.

What do the GHG data contain?
The GHG data contain information on anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of the six principal GHGs (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride) that are not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. The data also include activity data and implied emission factors by gas for all source categories. The GHG emission inventories are developed by Parties to the Convention using comparable methodologies agreed upon by the Conference of Parties. All the Parties base their GHG emission inventories on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Revised Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (1996), IPCC Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2000) and IPCC Good Practice Guidance on Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry (2003). In addition, the GHG data interface also includes data on population and gross domestic product (GDP); these data were provided to the UNFCCC by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations and by the World Bank.

What are the sources of the GHG data presented?
The GHG data are data officially reported by Parties to the UNFCCC secretariat. For non-Annex I Parties, the data are taken from their national communications, and for Annex I Parties, from their annual GHG inventory submissions. The exact sources of data are provided here. The population data are provided by the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations. While the source of the GDP (at market prices, constant 2000 US$) data is the World Bank, the data are accessed through the Common Database of the United Nations Statistics Division. The population and GDP data are displayed on the GHG data interface with kind permission of the United Nations and the World Bank; the United Nations and the World Bank have regulations concerning the use of their data and these organizations must be consulted before downloading population and GDP data for further use.

What are the definitions of the categories/sources for the reported data?
The emissions data are in accordance with the source categories of the Revised IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (1996). The definitions for major categories are provided here.

What are the definitions of activity data, an emission factor and an implied emission factor?
Activity data, according to the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, are defined as data on the magnitude of human activity resulting in emissions or removals taking place during a given period of time.

An emission factor is defined as the average emission rate of a given GHG for a given source, relative to units of activity.

An implied emission factor is defined as emissions divided by the relevant measure of activity.

What are the different elements of the GHG data interface?
The main elements of the interface are:

1. GHG data - UNFCCC: this page is an entry to the UNFCCC GHG data interface which provides access to the most recent GHG data reported by countries that are Parties to the Climate Change Convention
   • Time series - Annex I
   • GHG profiles
   • Detailed data by Party
   • Comparisons by gas
   • Comparisons by category
   • Flexible queries
2. KP data - UNFCCC: this is a page with GHG data relating specifically to the Kyoto Protocol; the data are as reported by Annex I countries that are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
   • Base year data
   • Compilation and accounting reports
3. GHG data - non-UNFCCC: this page provides links to the web sites of various organizations that also collect, estimate and/or disseminate data on GHG emissions/removals
4. Online help: the help page contains extensive explanatory information to assist the user in finding the right GHG data
   • Frequently Asked Questions
   • Data interface help
   • Notes on GHG data
5. Contact: this page suggests an e-mail address that can be used to contact the UNFCCC secretariat for questions, clarifications or more information relating to GHG data.

To see what data are provided under each element and what element may better serve your purposes, click here.

How can I access activity data, implied emission factor, population and GDP data on the data interface?
Such data are provided through the "Flexible queries" section. Click here to access the "Flexible queries" section.

Is there a limit to the data that can be displayed on-screen?
There is a vast amount of data to be managed by the GHG database. In order to be able to serve many users in parallel with acceptable response time, the data display is currently limited to 3,000 table cells. A message will be displayed if you choose a combination that would lead to more table cells. This limitation depends mostly on the performance parameters of the hardware equipment used in the UNFCCC secretariat and it can be reconsidered if more powerful equipment becomes available.

How often are the GHG data updated?
The information presented on this website is updated once a year, in line with the annual publication of data-related documents. Annex I Parties report their GHG inventories annually by 15 April. Non-Annex I GHG data are reported in national communications, which are submitted at different points in time. Therefore, along with the annual update of Annex I Parties' data, available non-Annex I data are updated as well. The annual update of the GHG data interface usually takes place between September and November. The data from external sources, such as population and GDP data, are revised at the same time, provided that they have been revised by the United Nations and the World Bank (for example, population data are updated once every two years).

Why aren't data available for all Parties and for all years?
The data published on this site correspond to the data reported by Parties according to the reporting requirement defined under the Climate Change Convention. In accordance with the reporting requirements, Annex I Parties are required to submit the GHG inventories every year while non-Annex I Parties submit information on the GHG emissions/removals as a part of the national communications which are submitted only periodically.

What is "CO₂ equivalent"?
GHG emissions/removals can be expressed either in physical units (such as grams, tonnes, etc.) or in terms of CO₂ equivalent (grams CO₂ equivalent, tonnes CO₂ equivalent, etc.). The conversion factor from physical units to CO₂ equivalent is the GWP of the corresponding GHG. If X Gg of CH₄ is to be expressed in terms of CO₂ equivalent, then it is multiplied by 21, which is GWP of CH₄ over 100 years timescale.

What global warming potential (GWP) values do Parties use when they report their GHG inventory data?
A table with the values is provided here.

What are the most widely used units of measurement for GHG emissions and what are their conversion factors?
The most widely used units and conversion factors are:
10⁶ g = 1000 kg = 1 tonne = 1 Mg
10⁹ g = 1 Gg = 1 kt
10¹² g = 1 Tg = 1 Mt
10¹⁵ g = 1 Pg = 1 Gt

What is the definition of the GDP?
According to the World Bank, gross domestic product (GDP) is defined as the measure of the total output of goods and services for final use occurring within the domestic territory of a given country, regardless of the allocation to domestic and foreign claims.

Gross domestic product at purchaser values (market prices) is the sum of gross value added by all resident and non-resident producers in the economy plus any taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. National currency GDP is converted into U.S. dollars at the relevant year's conversion rate.

(Note: The definition is reproduced from the Technical Notes on Country At a Glance data interface of the World Bank. The original definition can be accessed at this link: http://go.worldbank.org/NM88P907Q0)

Do you have estimates for historical and projected global GHG emissions, i.e., emissions for the whole world?
The UNFCCC secretariat does not collect or estimate GHG emissions for the world in total. The reason is that, according to the reporting requirements under the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, the format and coverage of GHG data are different for Annex I Parties to the Convention (or the so-called "industrialized" countries) and non-Annex I Parties ("developing countries"), and therefore we are not able to calculate a value for the world total accurately. Estimates for global emissions are made by some other organizations (such as the International Energy Agency) and they can be found at their websites, see a list of non-UNFCCC sources of GHG data here.

In what format are the data available?
The data interface presents GHG data in tabular and graphical forms. Many tables are also available as Excel spreadsheets. In the part with dynamic queries, all data can be exported in the Excel, CSV and PDF/HTML formats.

Can I see what data were reported by each country?
The original national GHG inventory submissions are available on the UNFCCC website for Annex I Parties here and for non-Annex I Parties here (for national communications) and here (for other non-Annex I data submissions).

What is the function of the 'email a friend' button?
It is a tool that enables the users to forward the URL of the data interface directly to an email account of a friend or colleague that might be interested in it.

Can I obtain a CD or a downloadable full version of the data for off-line use?
An off-line tool, the UNFCCC Locator, can be provided by request to national UNFCCC focal points. At present, the Locator contains data for Annex I Parties only. To obtain the tool, please contact your UNFCCC national focal point.