Print Page
Email PageKeywords: Institutional arrangements | planning
Country context: Austria’s inventory approach for Tier 2 estimation of cattle emissions uses prior research to establish relationships between gross energy intake and animal performance parameters. For dairy cattle, a relationship between milk yield and gross energy intake has been established, and for other cattle, gross energy intake of different sub-categories has been established based on animal performance and typical feed characteristics. Using this prior research, compilation of the annual inventory only requires data on animal population numbers in each category and milk yield. See Country Inventory Case Study: Austria.
Institutional arrangements: The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (BMLFUW) is responsible for Austria’s reporting obligations. It has established an Inspection Body for Emission Inventories (IBE) that compiles the annual GHG inventory. The personnel of the IBE are made up of staff from various units of the ministry. For each inventory sector, two experts form a sector team. These experts collect activity data, emission factors and all relevant information needed for finally estimating emissions. The sector experts are also responsible for the choice of methods, data processing and archiving and for contracting studies, if needed. As part of the quality management system the Head of the IBE approves methodological choices. Before methodologies are applied the methodology is defined as a SOP (standard operating procedure) together with a template for calculating emissions, where needed. The SOP is checked for applicability and completeness of information needed and finally approved by the head of the inspection body. New and changed calculation files are validated before use. Once data has been collected, it is entered together with emission estimates into a centralized database, where data sources are well documented for future reconstruction of the inventory. The sector experts are also responsible for QA/QC activities.
For livestock emissions, data comes from prior national studies and annual data on livestock population and milk yields reported by Statistics Austria. Provision of this data is part of the legal mandate of Statistics Austria.
Inventory compilation process: Austria’s inventory is compiled in accordance with an annual plan (Table 1). Annual planning begins with sectoral improvement planning, in which the sector team discusses all issues related to the sector with the head of IBE, assesses all issues according to their urgency and resource needs, and finally agrees on measures and activities to implement. Following this, a management review meeting is held at which the previous year’s activities and performance are reviewed, including quality management activities, and measures are set for improving the management system and its processes, including plans for internal audits, QA and verification activities as well as training and resource plans.
Table 1: Overview of inventory related tasks
Furhter Resources
Austria (2017) National Inventory Report.
Author: Andreas Wilkes, Values for development Ltd (2019)