National system

The Kyoto Protocol obliges its parties to have in place a national system for the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and their removal through sinks. The national system must incorporate inventory preparation, evaluation and reporting, as well as acquisition of source data, emission calculations and uncertainty analysis, quality management, and national auditing and approval of the inventory. A national responsible entity must be nominated for the system, and the division of responsibilities, and the legal and procedural arrangements related to the inventory must be specified. The system must be operative no later than one year before the start of the commitment period. The national system must meet the requirements set on it if the party concerned wants to employ flexible mechanisms.