Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the building of a national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory system with the aim of creating a legal foundation for GHG inventory accounting in the country. — Photo baodautu.vn

The system, which is expected to be put into operation next year, also aims to enforce the country's current regulations relating to the climate change response, meeting the requirements and obligations of a member country of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Prime Minister has authorized the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to take the lead role as an organiser, coordinator and conductor of all actions relating to the system, the Government report said last week.

The MoNRE in co-ordination with other ministries and environmental organisations will be responsible for undertaking GHG inventory tasks as part of the creation of national reports on climate change.

It will also be liable to ensure the role of the steering committee for the implementation of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol in the assessment and approval of national reports on climate change, including periodical GHG inventory, according to the report.

The PM also authorised the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to co-operate with the MoNRE in guiding other ministries and local authorities of all levels - including the city, provincial People's Committees and business enterprises - to provide adequate data and relevant information for the compiling of the GHG inventory every two years.

The MPI will then sum up the data to provide to the coordinating agency of the system every two years.

The national greenhouse gas inventory system's working plan for 2016-20 includes reviewing and revising policies and documents relating to the GHG inventory, completing the GHG inventory and creating technical reports on GHG inventory for 2014 and 2016.

The plan also includes the development of a database on GHG inventory and an assessment of the effectiveness of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System.

After 2020, the system will be completed, and the management and supervision of GHG emission will be strengthened. The system will measure, verify and report the country's GHG emission reduction to serve the implementation of Viet Nam's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution for the UNFCCC.

Green house gas inventories are a type of emission inventory that are developed for a variety of reasons. Scientists use inventories of natural and or human-caused emissions as tools when developing atmospheric models.