Why IG3IS?
Many nations, states, and cities are engaged in reducing GHG emissions in response to the rapid rise of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere and impacts on the climate system. Learn more below:
Decisions on emissions and removals by stakeholders depend on accurate, up-to-date GHG emissions and removals data. Traditionally, emissions inventories were estimated from national statistics, such as oil consumption or vehicle numbers. New scientific techniques now allow for using direct measurement of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere to quantify emissions using computer models. This approach enables additional insights on the GHG emissions and removals at scales relevant to decision-making. Learn more below:
These techniques can extend beyond national level application. They can be used to characterize emissions and removals at the scale of cities and individual facilities. Cities and industries are using knowledge of the source and magnitude of emissions to manage their climate impacts and assess the effectiveness of their actions. Learn more below:
Existing observation-based information systems
Observation-based GHG emissions information systems are already being implemented in several countries. Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom have successfully used top-down analyses (which rely on atmospheric observations) to improve their National Emission Inventory Reporting. Other countries with similar measurement and modelling capabilities could adopt these approaches.
Concept of IG3IS
IG3IS is an international science-based initiative and coordination mechanism developing fit-for purpose tools that link inventory and flux model data with atmospheric observations and modelling. This provides improved estimates of GHG emissions and removals at national, urban, and facility scales.
The initiative also aims to determine trends and distribution of GHGs in the atmosphere at national, subnational and urban scales and assess whether these align with efforts to reduce GHG emissions by stakeholders. IG3IS is intended to make information on the current state and changes of GHG emissions accessible for science-informed decision making.
The IG3IS community establishes consensus on best practices and guidelines to ensure that user communities understand solutions applicable for each individual case. The IG3IS community also supports quality control and benchmarking to ensure that solutions meet established quality criteria.
Observation-based approaches for quantifying GHG emissions and removals provide valuable, objective and granular information to diverse user communities. These user communities have utilized this information to:
• Improve understanding of atmospheric emissions and removals at national and smaller scale
• Guide progress on emission reduction strategies and actions for national and sub-national entities
• Expand GHG observational capacity to regional and urban levels
• Identify significant emission reduction opportunities (e.g. industrial methane)
IG3IS Logo Explained
When IG3IS is said out loud, it sounds like "I guess." However, by providing atmospheric measurements, our organization works to decrease the uncertainty, or guessing, associated with GHG emissions. Therefore, we wanted our organization to show the progression of this change in uncertainty, from guessing to knowing, with the flipping of a question mark. As can be seen on the logo above, in light blue is a right side up question mark encasing the number three. However, what might be more difficult to see, is the dark blue question mark below, which also serves as the bottom of the letter "g." Both question marks share the same dot, almost as a point of rotation, but the second is entirely upside down, thus symbolizing the decrease in uncertainty or guessing.
The light blue and dark blue are the same colors as in the WMO logo. Furthermore, included within the opening of the "g" is the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) logo.