The government is conducting training for experts to enhance greenhouse gas statistics and reporting capabilities in developing countries.
The Greenhouse Gas Comprehensive Information Center, part of the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment, announced that it will hold the 16th International Greenhouse Gas Expert Training Course in collaboration with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat from August 31 for three weeks at Sejong University in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
This training will involve 24 officials and researchers from 23 countries, including South Korea, Nepal, and Liberia, along with three graduate students from domestic universities. The curriculum is designed to be practical, covering the basic concepts of National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reports (NIR) and methods for estimating and verifying emissions across various sectors.
Under the enhanced transparency framework of the Paris Agreement, parties are required to submit biennial transparency reports (BTR) that include information on greenhouse gas emissions and absorption, as well as progress on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The first report is due by the end of 2024, with the second report required by the end of 2026. This year's training coincides with the period when countries are preparing their second BTR.
Participants will directly estimate greenhouse gas emissions from energy, industrial processes and product use (IPPU), agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU), and waste sectors. They will also practice verifying emissions and preparing reports based on country-specific statistical data.
The faculty includes experts from the UNFCCC Secretariat, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (GHGMI). This year, an expert from the University of Maryland in the United States will also join the team.
During the training, participants will visit the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the National Museum of Korea to learn about international climate change response activities and Korean culture.
Since 2011, the center has conducted annual training courses, producing 498 experts from 109 countries. Since 2017, it has been collaborating with the UNFCCC Secretariat for these training sessions.
In April, during Climate Week in Yeosu, the center renewed its memorandum of understanding with the UNFCCC Secretariat to support the greenhouse gas reporting capabilities of developing countries until 2031.
Choi Min-ji, head of the Greenhouse Gas Comprehensive Information Center, stated, "Graduates of the training program play a key role in their countries' greenhouse gas statistics. In the future, we will expand training to provide practical support not only for greenhouse gas estimation but also for BTR preparation."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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