Towards interoperable carbon intensity metrics

One in a set of two papers on interoperable carbon intensity metrics, this report delves into the methodologies employed by policy-mandated reporting of emissions via monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems. It explores practical avenues for establishing interoperable carbon intensity metrics by leveraging existing emissions MRV system rules and guidance as a stepping stone. To this end, the report examines key components of emissions MRV systems that impact interoperability across systems. It highlights the cases in which the resulting emission metrics are directly comparable and the cases when they should be adjusted for comparability across jurisdictions. In practical terms, it starts from the question: are emissions reported by installations in the same sector in two different jurisdictions comparable? If not, what are the factors that hinder this comparability? Are the current rules under MRV systems enough to ensure that they could be made comparable, and what degree of harmonisation would be needed to make them comparable? By providing a detailed analysis of emissions MRV systems, this report outlines their potential for providing a foundation for developing timely, granular, transparent and comparable carbon intensity metrics.