The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and Tsinghua University co-hosted a workshop Beijing in October 2010 on Reporting Practices Related to Climate Change and Other International Challenges. We are continuing this series of informal U.S.-China workshops to help strengthen mutual understanding of domestic monitoring, reporting and verification practices and challenges and to draw lessons from respective domestic experiences.
This workshop focused on domestic monitoring and evaluation of mitigation-related efforts, and on the role of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) in effective emissions markets, drawing in both areas on domestic experiences in the two countries. Links to speaker presentations (PDF) are provided below.
Monday, June 4
Welcoming Remarks
- Elliot Diringer, Executive Vice President, C2ES
- Teng Fei, Associate Professor, Tsinghua University
Energy-Related Monitoring and Verification
Accurate energy data is an essential foundation for policymaking and for tracking program implementation. This session focused on the monitoring, verification and assessment of energy data, and energy-related mitigation policies. Presentations provide overviews of China’s accountability system for its national energy intensity target, the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) collection and verification of energy data, and implementation of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.
- Teng Fei, Associate Professor, Tsinghua University (View slides)
Experience with the energy conservation target accountability system - Perry Lindstrom, Industry Economist, U.S. Energy Information Administration (View slides)
Overview of U.S. EIA’s energy data tracking system - Clare Breidenich, Independent Consultant (View slides)
Experience with implementation of California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard - Moderator: Kevin J. Tu, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
GHG Monitoring: Government and Industry
This session shifted to a focus on GHG monitoring and control programs involving industry. It began with an overview of the new U.S. GHG mandatory reporting rule. Presentations then focused, at a more disaggregated level, on monitoring and evaluation in the voluntary SF6 emission reduction program in the United States, and the Chinese cement sector’s experience in developing climate mitigation-relevant MRV systems.
- Kong Chiu, Senior Program Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (View slides)
U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program - Sally Rand, SF6 Program Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (View slides)
Voluntary industrial partnership programs: SF6 and Electric Power - Wang Lan, Professor, China Building Materials Academy (View slides)
Developing MRV guidelines for the Chinese cement sector - Moderator: Tim Juliani, Director of Corporate Engagement, C2ES
Role of MRV in Effective Emissions Trading Programs
The use of market mechanisms for pollution control has a well-established history in the United States and is being actively pursued in China. This session focused on the design and implementation of monitoring, reporting and verification elements within pollution trading mechanisms, starting with lessons learned from emission trading programs for sulfur dioxide (SO2) in both the U.S. and China, and how these lessons apply to the monitoring, reporting and verification of GHGs and carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Janet Peace, Vice President for Markets and Business Strategy, C2ES (View slides)
Design elements of an effective emission trading monitoring, reporting and verification system - Jeremy Schreifels, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (View slides)
Emission monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) for U.S. cap and trade programs - Wu Jian, Deputy Dean and Associate Professor, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China (View slides)
Lessons from Chinese programs: SO2 emission trading pilot programs and lessons for CO2 MRV - Jeffrey Hopkins, Economic and Environmental Policy Adviser, Rio Tinto (View slides)
An industry perspective: emissions monitoring and participation in market-based compliance systems - Moderator: Maurice LeFranc, Senior Adviser, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Tuesday, June 5
MRV in GHG Markets at the Sub-National Level
In both the United States and China, the use of market mechanisms for controlling CO2 and GHG emissions has moved forward at the state and regional levels. This session explored the establishment of monitoring, reporting and verification systems for GHG emissions trading at the sub-national level, focusing on the experiences of state and regional governments in the United States, and the pilot emissions trading programs currently being developed in seven Chinese provinces and cities.
- David Farnsworth, Senior Associate, Regulatory Assistance Project (View slides)
Perspective from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (North-East U.S. States) - Wang Yu, Assistant Professor, Tsinghua University (View slides)
Status of China’s regional trading programs - Michael Gillenwater, Executive Director and Dean, Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (View slides)
Perspective from California - Moderator: Anthony Mansell, U.S. Policy Adviser, International Emissions Trading Association
Key Takeaways
- Joanna Lewis, Assistant Professor, Georgetown University
- Xueman Wang, Team Leader, World Bank Partnership for Market Readiness