OVERVIEW

What is a Greenhouse Gas Inventory? Melting Earth

Signatories to the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required to calculate and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually. The end result of this process is referred to as a greenhouse gas inventory. The UNFCCC publishes a set of guidelines on how to conduct a greenhouse gas inventory, and many other groups offer calculators for organizations that are interested in assessing GHG emissions.

Why Conduct a Greenhouse Gas Inventory?

In addition to national governments, businesses, colleges, states, and municipalities have also become interested in quantifying and monitoring their greenhouse gas emissions. Many educational institutions, including signatories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, conduct annual greenhouse gas inventories, and some institutions have even established emission reduction goals and timelines. The state of Massachusetts plans to require major projects to conduct a GHG Inventory as part of the permitting process. Additionally, groups wishing to participate in cap and trade schemes must have an accurate greenhouse gas inventory.

Harvard has not set an emissions reduction target, but the HGCI does monitor the University's greenhouse gas emissions with an annual inventory. The first inventory was completed in 2001; we also have retrospective data back to 1990. The greenhouse gas inventory is an important tool that provides important information about trends in Harvard's emissions and allows the HGCI to push the University to adopt an emissions reduction target.

For a more detailed explanation of Harvard's Greenhouse Gas Inventory, please read our Overview presentation of Harvard's Greenhouse Gas Inventory.