GHGe Regulations
Find out more about Federal and State GHGe Reporting Legislation.
U.S. Federal
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the U.S. in March 2009. The final rule, signed by the Administrator on September 22, 2009, requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources and suppliers in the United States and is intended to collect accurate and timely emissions data to inform future policy decisions
Under the rule, suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial greenhouse gases, manufacturers of vehicles and engines and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more per year of GHG emissions are required to submit annual reports to EPA. The gases covered by the proposed rule are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) and other fluorinated gases including nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).
California State
AB 32, signed by the Governor in 2006, is California's Global Warming Solutions Act that sets in law aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets (1990 levels by 2020). AB 32 set the goals, but the solution is prescribed in the Scoping Plan. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the final regulations in December 2008 for the mandatory monitoring and reporting of state GHG emissions. The state regulations require GHG emissions be monitored and reported on annually from sources that “contribute the most to statewide emissions,” and account for all energy used in California. The regulations also require an almost 30 percent reduction in GHG emissions. California’s regulations require third-party verification of the reported data by emitters beginning in 2010.
California Air Resources Board regulators also just passed the nation’s first carbon fee on polluting industries, including utilities and oil refineries. The fee will go into effect by the end of 2010 and raise $63.1 million annually during its first three years and level off at $36.2 million in the fifth year.
Find out more.
Europe
The European Union has had mandatory greenhouse emissions caps since 2005. In January 2005 the European Union Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading System (EU ETS) commenced operation as the largest multi-country, multi-sector Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading System worldwide. The scheme is based on Directive 2003/87/EC, which entered into force on October 25, 2003. Allowances traded in the EU ETS are not printed but held in accounts in electronic registries set up by Member States. All of these registries are overseen by a Central Administrator at EU level who, through the Community Independent transaction log, check each transaction for any irregularities. This is how the registries system keep track of the ownership of allowances - similar to how a banking system keeps track of the ownership of money.
