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Kyoto Protocol Related Terms and Definitions
Accounting quantity:
The cumulative quantity of units that a Party must issue for
removals or cancel for emissions from an Article 3, paragraph 3
or 4, activity, for a given year of the commitment period. A
negative accounting quantity corresponds to net removals and
indicates that the Party has a cumulative obligation to add to
its assigned amount by issuing an equivalent quantity of RMUs
for that activity. A positive accounting quantity corresponds to
net emissions, and indicates that the Party must subtract from
its assigned amount by cancelling the corresponding quantity of
units.
Adjustment:
A change to a Party’s inventory estimates, which may be applied
by an expert review team if the inventory information reported
by the Party is incomplete or has been not prepared in a manner
consistent with IPCC methodologies and good practice guidance.
Adjustments are applied with the agreement of the Party
concerned, or by the enforcement branch, and are recorded in the
CAD.
Annex I:
The annex to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change specifying which developed country and other Parties to
the Convention have committed themselves to limit human-induced
emissions and enhance their GHG sinks and reservoirs.
Annex A:
An annex to the Kyoto Protocol that specifies the inventory
sources and sectors that are counted toward a Party’s emission
limitation and reduction commitment.
Annex B:
An annex to the Kyoto Protocol that specifies each Annex I
Party’s emission limitation and reduction commitment as a
percentage of that Party’s emissions in its base year or period.
Assigned amount:
The total quantity of valid emissions allowances (Kyoto Protocol
units) held by a Party within its national registry. The initial
assigned amount of a Party is determined by its base year
emissions, and its emission limitation and reduction objective
contained in Annex B of the Protocol. Any Kyoto Protocol units
that the Party acquires through the Kyoto mechanisms, or issues
for removals from LULUCF activities under Article 3, paragraphs
3 and 4, are added to the Party’s assigned amount; any units
that the Party transfers, or cancels for emissions from LULUCF
activities under Article 3, paragraphs 3 and 4, are subtracted
from the Party’s assigned amount. At the end of the commitment
period, each Party must ensure that its total Annex A emissions
over the commitment period are less than or equal to its total
assigned amount.
Assigned amount units - (AAU)
- a unit, introduced
in the rotation as a result of distribution of units of
antropogenic wastes of greenhouse gases (emission) permitted for particular
state during thje period of Kyoto obligations from the
2008 to the 2012 inclusive. AAU is equal to one metric ton of
carbon dioxide equivalent (СО2).
Cancellation - use of units for fulfillment of
engagements of the owner on volume of emissions.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Metric Ton – dimension of quantity of greenhouse
gas emission, reduced to СО2 emission
The quantity of emission is established by the Intergovernmental Panel
on group of Climate Change, IPCC.
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Ton (CO2e):
- dimension of quantity of greenhouse
gas emission, reduced to СО2
emission
by means of application of the individual factor established for this
substance.
Certified emission reduction - (CER) - A unit of greenhouse gas
emission reductions issued pursuant to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
of the Kyoto Protocol, and measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent. CER is introdused by the executive committee of the CDM of
the CDM Registry on the basis of the
checked up and certificated reductions of greenhouse gases as a result
of CDM projects activity.
Clean development mechanisms (CDM) – the projects, being
executed on the terrirory of one of the UN FCCC countries, which is not
a member of the Annex 1, fully or partly at the expense of country of
Enclosure 1 UN FCCC.
Commitment period
- the period for which particular commitments are defined and accepted in the
protocol. The first period is from 2008 to 2012.
Commitment period reserve (CPR):
A requirement for each Annex I Party to maintain a minimum
quantity of valid Kyoto Protocol units in its national registry
at all times. The CPR is intended to prevent Parties from
over-transferring units and thus jeopardizing their ability to
meet their Article 3, paragraph 1, commitment.
Compilation and accounting database (CAD):
The official repository of information related to each Party’s
accounting of emissions and assigned amount under the Kyoto
Protocol. The CAD also maintains information on each Party’s
eligibility to participate in the Kyoto mechanisms and other
information necessary for accounting of emissions and assigned
amount (such as elections of LULUCF activities under Article 3,
paragraph 4). It is maintained by the
UNFCCC secretariat.
Correction:
A change to a Party’s reported holdings of Kyoto Protocol units.
A correction may be recommended by an expert review team if a
Party’s transactions of Kyoto Protocol units is not in
conformity with the Kyoto accounting rules. Corrections are
applied by the enforcement branch and recorded in the CAD.
Discrepancy:
A violation of the Kyoto Protocol transaction rules. A
discrepancy will arise if a national registry initiates a
transaction that is not allowed by the Kyoto Protocol rules.
Emission reduction units (ERU) - A unit of emission
reductions issued pursuant to Joint Implementation. This unit is equal
to one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Emissions trading:
One of the three Kyoto emissions trading mechanisms, by which an
Annex I Party may transfer Kyoto Protocol units to or acquire
units from another Annex I Party. A Party must meet specific
eligibility requirements to participate in emissions trading.
Enforcement branch:
One of two branches of the Compliance Committee, responsible for
addressing questions of implementation regarding a Party’s
implementation of methodological and reporting requirements
related to its accounting of emissions and assigned amount, and
for determining and applying consequences for non-compliance
with its Article 3, paragraph 1, commitments.
Expedited review:
A review, conducted by an ERT under Article 8, that focuses on a
matter that led to the suspension of a Party’s eligibility to
participate in the Kyoto mechanisms. An expedited review is
conducted within a much shorter time frame than a normal review.
Expert review team (ERT):
An international team of experts, nominated by Parties, that is
responsible for conducting reviews under Article 8 of the Kyoto
Protocol.
Expiry:
The point in time at which a tCER or lCER becomes invalid. Each
tCER and lCER must be replaced by another unit prior to its
expiry.
Facilitative branch:
A branch of the Compliance Committee mandated to provide advice
and facilitation to Parties in implementing the Protocol and to
promote compliance by Parties with their Kyoto commitments.
Holding account:
A type of account in a national (or the CDM) registry, where
valid Kyoto Protocol units are recorded. Each national registry
must contain at least one holding account for the Party.
Inconsistency:
A difference between a national registry’s records of holdings
and the ITL’s records of holdings for that registry at a
particular point in time, as identified through the
reconciliation procedures of the ITL.
International transaction log (ITL) – the
international registration system
of
the executed operations of all national registers.
Issuance:
The term used to refer to the creation of an individual Kyoto
Protocol unit.
Joint implementation (JI):
A Kyoto Protocol mechanism that allows Annex I Parties to
purchase emission allowances from projects in other Annex I
Parties that reduce or remove emissions. The emission allowances
from JI projects are called emission reduction units (ERUs).
Kyoto mechanisms:
The three mechanisms for transferring and acquiring emission
allowances between Parties under the Kyoto Protocol. They are
emissions trading, joint implementation and the clean
development mechanism.
Long-term certified emission reduction (lCER):
A Kyoto Protocol unit representing an allowance to emit one
metric tonne of CO2 equivalent. lCERs are issued for emission
removals from CDM afforestation and reforestation project
activities that have a long, renewable, crediting period.
National system:
A Party’s institutions and procedures for planning, preparation
and archiving of greenhouse gas inventory data.
National registry:
An electronic database maintained by a Party, or group of
Parties, for the transfer and tracking of units in accordance
with the Kyoto rules.
Owner of carbon units –
the
legal or physical person owning quotas on emissions/units of absorption
of greenhouse gases.
Question of implementation:
A problem with a Party’s implementation of a particular
commitment identified by an expert review team which, if
unresolved, is brought to the attention of the Compliance
Committee. Only an ERT or a Party can raise a question of
implementation.
Registry User –
the legal or
physical person registered in the national registry (made a treaty
between a member of the registry and registry administrator).
Removal unit (RMU) - Unit of
carbon dioxide absorption by the ecosystems (basically woods), as a
result of activity on change in land management and forestry.
Each RMU is equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent gases.
Replacement:
The transfer of a Kyoto unit to a replacement account in order
to replace a tCER or lCER that has expired, or an lCER that has
been subject to reversal of storage or noncertification.
Standardized electronic format (SEF):
An agreed format, embodied in a special report, for reporting
Kyoto Protocol units.
Supplementary Transaction Log (STL):
An electronic data system, administered by a Party or group of
Party, that monitors and tracks transactions of units under a
national or regional trading system. Such transaction logs are
supplementary to the ITL.
Track one:
One of two approaches for verifying emission reductions under
joint implementation, whereby the Party concerned may verify its
own emission reductions according to its national procedures.
Track two:
One of two approaches for verifying emission reductions under
joint implementation, whereby each JI project is subject to
verification procedures established under the supervision of the
Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee (JISC). Track two
procedures require that each project be reviewed by an
accredited independent entity to determine whether the project
meets the requirements established under Article 6.
Transfer of inits –
transfer
of units for the following period of obligations under the
protocol (except for ЕА) in case that the owner has fullfilled
the obligations on the given period and has made a decision on
units' transfer for the following period.
Withdrawal from circulation – withdrawal from
circulation in case of presence of technical mistakes or
due
to violation of other rules of possession by the owner (rules of
possession are established by the national legislation).
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