Concepts and definitions
- Activity data
Data on the volume of human activity causing emissions or removals during a given time period. For example, in the energy sector the annual activity data for fuel combustion describe the total amount of fuel burned. Annual activity data for methane emissions from enteric fermentation describe the total number of raised animals by species.
- Annex I parties
The industrialised countries listed in Annex I to the UNFCCC which committed themselves to returning their greenhouse gas emissions to the 1990 level by the year 2000 in accordance with Article 4.2 (a) and (b). These countries have also accepted emission targets for the 2008-2012 period in accordance with Article 3 and Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol. The countries include the 24 original OECD members, the European Union and 14 countries with economies in transition.
- Assigned amount
Each party listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol has been assigned maximum amounts of emissions which the party concerned must not exceed during the first commitment period of 2008-2012. The assigned amounts are obtained by multiplying the emission amount of the base year by five (years) and by multiplying the thus obtained product with a coefficient given in Annex B, which expresses the limit set on the party's emissions as a percentage of its emissions in 1990. Assigned emission amounts are expressed as tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
- CRF tables
Tables of specified format (Common Reporting Format) used in national greenhouse gas inventory systems.
- Commitment period
The time period within which the targets assigned in the Kyoto Protocol on emission limitations and reductions must be reached. The first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol runs from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012.
- Equivalent carbondioxide
Common measure for greenhouse gas emissions with which the combined effects from different greenhouse gases on the acceleration of the greenhouse effect can be added together.
- F gases
General term for HFC compounds (hydrofluorocarbons), PFC compounds (perfluorinated carbons) and sulphur hexafluoride, whose emissions the Kyoto Protocol endeavours to limit or reduce.
- Greenhouse gas
The six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), HFC compounds (hydrofluorocarbons) PFC compounds (perfluorocarbons) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Other important greenhouse gases are water vapour, ozone and CRF and HCFC compounds. Greenhouse gases cause atmospheric warming by preventing solar radiation from escaping back to space.
- Greenhouse gas inventory
Greenhouse gas inventory is a national annual calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, the results of which are gathered into tables of common reporting format and presented in a national inventory report, which are submitted annually to the UNFCCC Secretariat and the EU Commission.
- IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change.
- Indirect grenehouse gases
Carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) have an indirect impact on the greenhouse effect through e.g. ozone (O3) formation. Emissions of these gases are limited under other international agreements and the obligations of the Kyoto Protocol on the limitation and reduction of emissions do not concern them. Nevertheless, their emissions must be reported to the Convention in national greenhouse gas inventory reports.
- Key kategory
The category that is prioritised in the national inventory system because it has a significant influence on the country's total inventory of greenhouse gases in terms of absolute volume or trend of emissions, or both.
- Kyoto Protocol
A legally binding Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which was adopted at the third sessions of the Conference Parties to the UNFCCC in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. The European Union and Finland ratified the Protocol in May 2002. The Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005. The Protocol obliges the countries listed in its Annex B to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions during the 2008-2012 period to the mandatory targets assigned in the Annex.
- LULUCF
Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector in the national greenhouse gas inventory.
- Monitoring Mechanism (EU)
A mechanism based on a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol, which obliges the Member States to contribute to the Community greenhouse gas inventory and to other climate policy, and to the monitoring and evaluation of detailed actions under it.
- National Inventory Report
A report containing the results of the national greenhouse gas inventory which must be submitted annually to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the Commission of the European Union. The inventory report contains data on the development and sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the reporting country, the methods, assumptions and data sources applied in the calculations, uncertainty analysis and quality assurance and verification.
- National system
The Kyoto Protocol obliges its parties to have in place a national system for the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and their removal through sinks. The national system must incorporate inventory preparation, evaluation and reporting, as well as acquisition of source data, emission calculations and uncertainty analysis, quality management, and national auditing and approval of the inventory. A national responsible entity must be nominated for the system, and the division of responsibilities, and the legal and procedural arrangements related to the inventory must be specified. The system must be operative no later than one year before the start of the commitment period. The national system must meet the requirements set on it if the party concerned wants to employ flexible mechanisms.
- Recalculation
A standard method used for ensuring the coherence and consistency of inventory calculations is recalculation of the estimates with the same method for all the years the inventory covers. The aim of the recalculation is to ensure that the entire time series has been compiled in accordance with the new data and/or method.
- Sink
Any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.
- Source
Any process or activity which releases a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
A UN framework convention concerning the climate change (UNFCCC), signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Greenhouse gases [e-publication].
ISSN=1797-6065. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 24.5.2013].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/khki/kas_en.html.
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