Locations(Originally published on 03/17/2015)
On March 17th, an Inception Workshop for “Enabling China to Prepare Its Third National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change” (TNC) project was launched by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), with participation from government officials including Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology as well as experts from Tsinghua University and National Climate Strategy Center, among others.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF)-supported project aims to enable China to fulfill its commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Implemented by UNDP and NDRC, this project will help China prepare its Third National Communication (TNC) and Biennial Update Report (BUR) in line with UNFCCC guidelines.
Compared to the Second National Communication, the Third National Communication (TNC) will develop a more comprehensive national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory from the energy, livestock, croplands, industry and other sectors, with extended categories and sources of GHG emissions. The existing national inventory database management system will also be updated in an effort to administer inventory data in a more scientific way.
Hannah Ryder, Head of Policy and Partnerships for UNDP China, stressed the importance of the TNC project by saying, “this project and this workshop come at an important time. 2015 is the year in which, the most important steps to tackle climate change, since 2009, are expected to be agreed upon.” Ms. Ryder continued by noting that “government commitment to tackling air pollution, which will have the co-benefit of reducing emissions, has also been announced as a major priority in the National People's Congress (NPC) and Chinese People's Political Consultation Conference (CPCC) meetings that have just closed.”
Also at the event Mr. Su Wei, General Director of the Department of Climate Change, NDRC emphasized that “completing the Third National Communication and Biennial Report will be a great challenge for all…especially in areas like finishing and updating the national greenhouse gas inventory, assessing the impact of, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, developing related policies and regulations on mitigation of climate change.”
“To deliver the Third National Communication and Biennial Update Reports with acute and comprehensive data inventory, current technology in statistics and advanced achievements in science should be adopted,” Mr. Su Wei said. He further stressed that “the reports will make national efforts visible not only for China but the rest of the world, who are waiting to learn from China’s experience. We need to make great endeavor to improve the acuteness of data by taking advantage of current technology.”
