Publication:
Developing Emissions Quantification Protocols for Carbon Pricing: A Guide to Options and Choices for Policy Makers

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Files in English
English PDF (2.04 MB)
2,036 downloads
English Text (637.94 KB)
455 downloads
Published
2020-08-24
ISSN
Date
2020-08-28
Editor(s)
Abstract
Carbon pricing is an important instrument in addressing climate change. However, a well-functioning carbon pricing instrument needs a robust framework to quantify GHG emissions (including removals) underpinned by high quality data. This data can help policy makers set the level of a carbon tax (CT) and help regulators track how many emissions allowances companies need to surrender under an Emissions Trading System (ETS). A robust framework will facilitate implementation and enforcement of the rules and increase compliance levels. This report builds on the PMR Guide for Designing Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Programs (PMR MRV Guide), which provides a broader overview of establishing an MRV system. This report focuses on the technical detail of quantification protocols, that is, how in practice emissions data can be monitored and quantified for reporting. This report is intended for policy makers and government officials responsible for setting up and implementing emissions quantification protocols as part of the emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems that support carbon taxes and emissions trading systems.
Link to Data Set
Citation
Partnership for Market Readiness. 2020. Developing Emissions Quantification Protocols for Carbon Pricing: A Guide to Options and Choices for Policy Makers. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34388 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Report Series
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Publication
    Enhancing Carbon Pricing and International Carbon Market Readiness Through the Mitigation Action Assessment Protocol
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-07-21) Partnership for Market Readiness
    Putting a price on carbon can be an indispensable part of a country’s strategy to reduce emissions in an efficient way. Furthermore, putting a price on carbon through international carbon markets can also offer significant cost benefits and enable flexibility in achieving emission reduction targets. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement provides a potential basis for bottom-up carbon market linkage. Under the Paris Agreement, carbon pricing policies and international carbon markets are increasingly developed bottom up and are diverse in nature to accommodate countries’ domestic priorities. While this bottom-up development promotes innovation, the diversity of approaches reduces transparency between climate actions and increases the complexity of market integration. A standardized framework is needed to assess countries’ capacity building needs to participate in carbon pricing and international carbon markets. The World Bank initiated the development of the mitigation action assessment protocol (MAAP) in 2015 to drive meaningful assessment of diverse climate actions. Pilots results showed that MAAP provides a transparent and relatively easy-to-use framework to help countries identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Future implementation of the tool will seek to address identified challenges such as collecting evidence, identifying capacity building priorities, and providing guidance on communication strategies. This report summarizes key findings and lessons learned from pilots.
  • Publication
    Lessons Learned from Linking Emissions Trading Systems
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2014-02) Partnership for Market Readiness
    In support of the partnership for market readiness work on helping the emergence of credible, consistent, and compatible market-based infrastructure across countries, this report reviews the lessons learned from linking greenhouse gas emissions trading systems. Two emissions trading systems (ETS) are linked if a participant in one system can use a compliance instrument (allowance or credit) issued by the administrator of either system for compliance. This report focuses on links that enable participants of both ETS to use compliance instruments from either system (bilateral links). The linked systems can adopt common compliance instruments. Or each system can retain its own compliance instruments and accept those from either ETS for compliance, possibly subject to restrictions. A bilateral link offers three potential benefits. First, it can make an ETS a viable policy option for a jurisdiction where an independent ETS will be infeasible for technical or cost reasons. Second, a bilateral link can reduce the total cost of achieving the combined emissions caps of the linked ETS. Third, a bilateral link can enhance the operation of the market for the compliance instrument(s). Section one gives background information. Section two presents the types of links an ETS can establish and discusses the potential benefits and risks of linking. The requirements for a bilateral link between two ETS are summarized in section three. How to implement a bilateral link is discussed in section four.
  • Publication
    Domestic Emissions Trading
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-04) Partnership for Market Readiness
    This document provides an overview and summary assessment of lessons and insights learned from various existing and presented domestic cap and trade schemes. For each scheme, a set of general characteristics (or issues) is considered. The characteristics (or issues) covered include the following: (i) coverage and scope; (ii) setting a cap; (iii) setting the points of obligation; (iv) allocation of allowances; (v) systems for domestic monitoring, reporting and verification, (MRV) and compliance; (vi) enabling trading and fostering stability; (vii) institutional arrangements, including technical and legal infrastructures; and (viii) use of offsets and linking. The domestic emissions trading schemes (ETS) included in this assessment are the following: (i) European Union (EU) ETS; (ii) New Zealand (NZ) ETS; (iii) United States (U.S.) northeast states regional greenhouse gas initiative (RGGI); (iv) California (Cal) ETS; (v) Australia clean energy future carbon pricing mechanism (Aus CPM); and (vi) Tokyo cap and trade program (C and T).
  • Publication
    Preparing for Carbon Pricing : Case Studies from Company Experience--Royal Dutch Shell, Rio Tinto, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-01-28) Partnership for Market Readiness
    This report covers case studies with three companies: Royal Dutch Shell, Rio Tinto, and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), capturing their experiences and lessons learn preparing for and operating under policies that price carbon emissions. It is relevant for private companies and countries interested in seeing how companies are putting a price on carbon.
  • Publication
    Supporting GHG Mitigation Actions with Effective Data Management Systems
    (World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-05) Partnership for Market Readiness
    The Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) is a global partnership, which provides funding and technical assistance to support the design and development of market-based instruments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The PMR is country-led and builds on countries own mitigation priorities. It emphasizes improving technical and institutional capacity to scale up mitigation efforts, including domestic emissions trading, crediting mechanisms and carbon taxes, among others. The report contains three parts. First, it provides an overview of the types of data management systems included in this analysis, namely, systems that support: (1) national level inventories, (2) facility-level reporting, and (3) carbon asset registries as well as other systems for clean energy and energy efficiency policies. The first part also provides a snapshot of four cases studies (the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Germany; Annexes to this report includes full descriptions of the case studies). Secondly, the report presents lessons learned from the case studies, and derives a number of key considerations for designing and developing data management systems. Finally, it proposes design principles that PMR partner countries may find useful when implementing GHG data management systems of their own.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Publication
    Guinea-Bissau Country Climate and Development Report
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-23) World Bank Group
    Guinea-Bissau is endowed with a wealth of natural resources, with the highest natural capital per capita in West Africa (US3,874 dollars per capita), which could be leveraged for sustainable and resilient growth. However, Guinea-Bissau faces significant development hurdles, such as high poverty rates, political instability, and economic challenges, including an over-reliance on cashew nuts. Rural poverty has increased, and the nation's infrastructure, education, and health care systems are underdeveloped. Climate change poses a severe threat, potentially impacting agriculture, fisheries, and infrastructure. Without adaptation, it could lead to a significant cut in real GDP per capita (minus 7.3 percent by 2050) and increase in poverty (with up to over 200,000 additional poor by 2050, that is, 5 percent of the expected population, in the worst scenario). The country's low greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise, mainly due to agriculture and land-use changes, with deforestation being a major contributing factor. Although Guinea-Bissau is a low emitter, it has high mitigation ambitions, targeting a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The Nationally Determined Contribution outlines significant climate actions, with initiatives focused on forest conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community development. However, the country's political instability, institutional weaknesses, and limited financial resources pose challenges to implementing these climate commitments, which depend heavily on external funding. The financial sector's underdevelopment and vulnerability to external shocks limit its ability to support green investments, though reforms could enhance resilience. Guinea-Bissau must consider its climate financing as development financing and vice-versa, engage the private sector, and integrate climate goals with national development plans to ensure a sustainable future. Concessional climate financing is vital due to the underdeveloped financial sector and the government’s limited borrowing capacity. Addressing Guinea-Bissau's vulnerability to climate change and its structural issues requires a cohesive approach that integrates development and climate strategies. This could involve improving governance, diversifying the economy, protecting natural capital, developing human capital, and investing in sustainable agriculture and infrastructure. The transition to a more sustainable and inclusive development pathway that supports economic growth is possible, but requires focusing on key strategic sectors, enhancing institutional capacity, and creating the conditions to mobilize finance. As a highly vulnerable country, there are myriad needs in the different sectors; however, to be more efficient and effective, Guinea-Bissau should prioritize actions in a few sectors, especially actions on biodiversity, agriculture, and social protection. Low carbon development, especially in energy and forestry sectors, could provide cost-efficient solutions and attract climate finance, including from the private sector, which will support the overall development agenda.
  • Publication
    Comoros Country Climate and Development Report
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-06-18) World Bank Group
    The Union of the Comoros (The Comoros) has significant vulnerability to climate change-related risks but has considerable opportunities to strengthen preparedness and resilience against these challenges. According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, the Comoros is the 29th-most vulnerable country to climate change and the 163rd most ready to adapt (out of 191). The Comoros archipelago is exposed to many natural hazards that adversely affect the country’s natural capital, people, and physical infrastructure. In 2014, the economic cost of climate-related disasters was estimated at 5.7 million dollars annually, equivalent to 9.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Between 2018 and 2023, as many as 11 tropical depressions or cyclones impacted the country, with Cyclone Kenneth causing the greatest damage, equivalent to 14 percent of GDP, resulting in total economic growth falling from 3.6 percent in 2018 to 1.9 percent in 2019. More than 345,000 people (40 percent of the population) were affected by the cyclone, with 185,000 people experiencing severe impacts and 12,000 people displaced. However, there is an opportunity for the country to grow more robust and shock-responsive, and to establish pre-positioned funding mechanisms to enhance future crisis response efforts. For the Comoros, adaptation and climate-resilient development are the key climate change focus areas, with the country projected to face 836 million dollars 2050 in additional costs due to climate-related impacts. Current plans to adapt to the impacts of climate change in the Comoros include efforts to improve water management, strengthen coastal protection, and develop climate-smart agriculture practices. Given the country’s reliance on its natural resource base for economic growth and mobility, protection of these resources from climate change will be essential for promoting resilient growth and development. In addition to growing the adaptive capacity of the country’s natural resource sectors, strategic economic diversification will be important to help minimize future climate impacts, and development activities will need to be undertaken in such a way as to attract low-carbon co-benefits. The Union of the Comoros is committed to addressing climate change through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and national priorities. The country’s NDC (which was revised in 2021 for a ten-year horizon) sets ambitious targets, with a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 23 percent by 2030. The country also plans to significantly increase the share of renewable energy in its energy portfolio, reaching 33 MW by 2030. This will not only promote low-carbon development but also reduce the country’s dependency on imported oil and coal, which currently make up 95 percent of the energy mix. Additionally, the Comoros has declared its intention to increase CO2 removals by 47 percent by 2030, compared to BAU.
  • Publication
    Mongolia Country Climate and Development Report
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-22) World Bank Group
    Mongolia’s development prospects are uniquely challenged by both the impacts of climate change and the global shift toward a low-carbon economy. The country’s efforts toward decarbonization pose significant challenges given the structurally high-emission intensity of its economy. While challenging, climate action also presents Mongolia with opportunities to achieve important development benefits. The effects of climate risks and the shift away from coal will have diverse impacts across different regions, communities, and socioeconomic levels. The report assesses the critical interconnections between Mongolia’s development ambitions and climate change action and identifies ways to transition to a more economically diversified, inclusive, and resilient development path. It highlights key climate and transition risks affecting Mongolia’s future development and presents a pathway to enhance climate mitigation and adaptation. The report also makes a case for strengthening policies to enhance resilience to climate change and ensure a just transition, particularly for the most vulnerable. The report is structured as follows: section 1 gives introduction. Section 2 delves into the linkages between development and climate in Mongolia and presents model-based findings on the economic and poverty impacts of climate change under different scenarios. Section 3 covers four in-depth sectoral analyses. The first two mainly focus on adaptation to climate change in the agriculture and water sectors. The third considers prospects for the extraction sector, while the fourth sectoral analysis focuses on decarbonizing power and heat generation. Section 4 shifts the focus to how the government can boost resilience for climate-vulnerable populations. Section 5 outlines options for mobilizing private and public financing and private investments to support the green transition. Section 6 examines the existing institutional and governance structure for climate action and presents recommendations to improve its effectiveness, and section 7 concludes with a framework for prioritizing the policy actions outlined in this report.
  • Publication
    Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03) World Bank Group
    This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.
  • Publication
    Jobs in a Changing Climate: Insights from World Bank Group Country Climate and Development Reports Covering 93 Economies
    (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-05) World Bank
    The World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs) provide a crosscutting look at how countries’ development prospects, and the job opportunities they offer to their people, can be threatened by climate impacts and supported by climate policies. Climate change and policies affect jobs through impacts on productivity, energy and material efficiency, and physical, human, and natural capital. They can also transform employment opportunities, especially through complementary measures that help workers and firms adapt to and benefit from new technologies and production practices. Prepared by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), CCDRs integrate country perspectives, climate science and economic modeling, private sector information, and policy analysis to assess how countries can successfully grow and develop their economies and create jobs despite increasing climate risks and while achieving their climate objectives and commitments. Each CCDR starts from the country’s development priorities, opportunities, and challenges, and is developed in close consultation with governments, businesses, and civil society, ensuring the recommendations reflect national priorities. By combining evidence on adaptation, resilience, and emissions pathways, CCDRs highlight where climate action can reinforce development and job creation, and where targeted policies are needed to manage risks and smooth labor market transitions. Taken together, these elements can help create local jobs, ensure economic transitions are just and inclusive, and equip workers and firms to navigate the disruptions and opportunities of a changing climate and changing technologies.