For Release: Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Greenhouse Gas Reporting Standard Available to Help Measure and Verify Emissions

A new reporting standard to help track the emissions of greenhouse gases in North America was announced today by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis. The Climate Registry, a nonprofit partnership of which New York is a board member, released its General Reporting Protocol which provides a comprehensive guideline for how greenhouse gas emissions will be measured, verified and reported by participants in the Registry's voluntary program.

The Climate Registry provides a consistent way for companies, governments and organizations to count and report their emissions from greenhouse gas sources under their control, and to track progress toward meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. By enrolling in the Registry, participants benefit by getting access to user-friendly web-based software and technical assistance in developing their greenhouse gas inventories.

Correct information about emissions is the basis for effective climate change policy and for cost-efficient investments in greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. GHGs are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Human-caused emissions are adding to the natural level of GHGs, trapping excess heat that is warming the earth and, according to scientists, changing the climate.

"Every New Yorker has a vital stake in the success of controlling greenhouse gas emissions and limiting climate change," Commissioner Grannis said. "Through The Climate Registry, we are beginning the crucial work of developing a reliable inventory of actual GHG emissions. Any firm, institution or organization that emits GHGs needs this information to make the right decisions about how real reductions can take place and make a difference in the fight against global warming."

The Climate Registry, North America's largest climate initiative, is a national, nonprofit organization that has established a common system for state and tribally recognized GHG emissions records. The organization's Board of Directors includes representatives from 39 U.S. states, including New York, eight Canadian provinces, six Mexican states, three native tribes, and the District of Columbia.

The Registry's General Reporting Protocol announced today is significant because it defines the methodology that will be used to calculate, verify, and publicly report GHG emissions. Correct data in The Climate Registry will ensure that emissions reduction programs are consistent across borders and industry sectors, and that responsibility for controlling emissions is shared equitably. The new protocol will ensure that the emissions data are accurate, complete, consistent, and verified. The Registry will ensure consistency and transparency between programs, and will establish a high level of integrity in emissions accounting and reporting. The Protocol document incorporates public comments from workshops conducted throughout North America.

All New York businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities and municipalities are encouraged to join The Climate Registry and begin measuring and reporting GHG emissions. Seventy-three leading corporations, non-profit organizations, cities, and counties are already reporting their greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry.

Entities reporting to The Climate Registry agree to calculate both direct and indirect GHG emissions. Direct emissions include those from on-site combustion, manufacturing processes and transportation fleets. Emissions associated with electricity and steam consumption are the only indirect emissions required to be reported. However, reporters to the Registry are also encouraged to register additional indirect emissions. Reporters measure and report emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

DEC is currently in the process of joining the Registry as a reporting member, and will voluntarily report the agency's emissions data. Organizations that join The Climate Registry as reporters before May 1, 2008, will be considered "Founding Reporters" and will receive continued recognition for their outstanding environmental leadership in measuring and publicly reporting their GHG emissions on a voluntary basis.

The Climate Registry is complementary to New York's ongoing implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program in which ten Northeastern states have agreed to implement a carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program for the generation of electricity. RGGI's first auction of carbon dioxide allowances has been set for September 2008, with implementation of the RGGI program beginning in January 2009.