MRV: A critical tool for tracking emissions and accelerating climate action

We need to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The latest issue of FLUXES, the European Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, by ICOS – sheds light on an essential tool to help decision-makers assess progress towards a net zero world: science-based Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems.

Monitoring refers to data and information regarding emissions. 

Reporting is the act of compiling this information into inventories. 

Verification points to independent assessment of the reported information to ensure accuracy.

MRV is already well established in the UNFCCC framework with the national inventories. However, complementing the inventories with MRV systems, informed by scientifically measured greenhouse gas data, increases the power to support societies in their climate action from the local to the global scale.