China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) this week released draft rules and guidelines for tracking carbon emissions in 10 key industrial sectors, taking the total to 24 as it steps up efforts to ensure its national ETS and climate policy targets are based on sound data.

The MRV rules released Wednesday aim at ensuring credible emissions reporting from companies in some major-emitting sectors, including paper manufacturing, non-ferrous metals, production of electronics and machinery, mining and public buildings.

They follow the release of similar guidelines in 14 other sectors over the past 18 months, including power generation and other major manufacturing industries.

The central government last year issued orders that all facilities emitting more than 13,000 tonnes of CO2 per year must report their emissions annually.

However, many of those covered by that order lacked the equipment and knowledge to adequately monitor, report and verify emissions. The NDRC is drawing up rules for each individual sector to ensure emitters across China take the same approach.

CO2 emissions are not among the environmental indicators tracked by the national statistical bureau, and the lack of accurate and credible data has been flagged as one of the major obstacles to success for China’s national emissions trading scheme, which will launch in 2017.

With little confidence in the data, doubts will also cloud China’s statements on its progress to meeting its target of reducing its carbon intensity 60-65% below 2005 levels by 2030 and peaking emissions by the end of next decade.

The issue resurfaced last week, when the New York Times pointed out economic data from earlier this year showing that China’s coal consumption the past decade may have been as much as 17% higher each year than initially thought.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

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