Uncertainties in Accounting for CO2 From Fossil Fuels

• Published in: Journal of industrial ecology Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 136 - 139
• Main Author: Marland, Gregg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.04.2008; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Accounting methods; Air pollution; Biosphere; Carbon; Carbon cycle; Carbon dioxide; Carbon dioxide emissions; Carbon footprint; Carbon sources; Climate change; Data collection; Emission measurements; Emissions; Emissions control; Emissions trading; Environmental accounting; Environmental economics; Environmental policy; Estimation; Fossil fuels; Gases; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; International; Measurement; Sustainability reporting; U.S.A
• ISSN: 1088-1980; 1530-9290
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2008.00014.x

Carbon accounting is now firmly on the agenda of science, politics, and business. Individuals are estimating their carbon footprint. There has been considerable discussion about the challenges of measuring carbon sources and sinks in the biosphere, but there has been less recognition that emissions from fossil-fuel combustion are also subject to uncertainty. CO2 emissions are actually measured in only a few places, and then with still considerable uncertainty. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has published guidelines for countries to estimate their CO2 emissions, guidelines that include coefficients for converting fuel used to CO2 emitted. Given all of the issues of measurement, evaluation, and data collection, the US has estimated that its national calculation of CO2 emissions has an uncertainty of 4% to 0%. The bottom line is that the details of the global carbon cycle and the details of compliance with emissions commitments are limited by the uncertainty of the emissions estimates.