10-11 March 2016 – China’s national Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is scheduled for 2017. Civil aviation was nominated for inclusion in the upcoming national ETS by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). As one of the seven ETS pilot regions, Shanghai has incorporated aviation in its ETS pilot since 2013 and is the only pilot region thus far to do so. In order to support the further development the GIZ and the Shanghai Information Center (SHIC) hosted a workshop from 10-11 March 2016 to bring together officials and experts from Germany and China to reflect on the verification requirements in the civil aviation sector.
Ms. Wei Yihua, Researcher in the Division of Domestic Policy and Compliance at the NDRC, reviewed recent progress in the preparation of the national framework’s management and legal measures, and emphasised the necessity for capacity building during the transition to the national ETS.
Ms. Liu Jia of the SHIC
A research project on specific verification guidelines for the civil aviation sector between the SHIC and the GIZ was introduced by Ms. Liu Jia (SHIC). She also outlined the verification rules used and lessons learnt from Shanghai’s pilot ETS. Such takeaways are valuable to support the development of the national ETS.
Dr. Chen Liang, Dr. Olaf Hölzer-Schopohl, Dr. Arthur Pelchen, Mr. Christian Mietz (L to R)
The experiences of a qualified authority from the EU were represented by Dr. Olaf Hölzer-Schopohl, Head of the Aviation Unit at the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt). He detailed the outcomes from civil aviation inclusion in the EU-ETS and adjustments relating to policy design, implementation, and oversight.
Dr. Arthur Pelchen, Senior Verifier in EU-ETS demonstrated the application of verification processes through German case studies and pointed out areas where problems can arise. Referencing changes that were made to their practices, he explained how the EU ETS has been improved.
Ms. Zhang Lixin, CQC Mr. Zhou Qiang, Shanghai DRC
An airline’s perspective on data collection processes and data management was shared by Mr. Christian Mietz, Emissions Trade and Report Manager at the Lufthansa Group. Mr. Mietz underscored the importance of having a clear system in place to gather reliable data.
Dr. Chen Liang from the China National Institute of Standardization provided insight into the interpretation of standards for accounting and reporting in civil aviation. On the subject of the framework and procedures that will support the MRV systems in the national ETS, Ms. Zhang Lixin of the China Quality Certification Center (CQC) revealed the structure of national verification guidelines. Dr. Zeng Xuelan of the Guangdong Research Centre for Climate Change spoke about the design, roadmap and guidelines relating to standardisation and feasibility of the Guangdong aviation MRV system in her speech. Guangdong is planning to include civil aviation in their local scheme.
Many of the presenters stressed the importance of consistency, transparency and efficiency in both the regulations and their enforcement. The significance of internal and third-party audits within an MRV system was echoed by both the German and Chinese contributors.
Attendees, Experts and Organisers at the Shanghai Workshop
UPDATE: Click the following link to a Chinese article published by the Carbon Trade website, “Tan Paifang” cover this event!
