IG3IS History

Accurate long-term atmospheric measurements of greenhouse gases (GHG) are key to understanding their role in climate change. The urgency and complexity of the problem demand strategic investment in science-based information for monitoring, verification, management and long-term planning of GHG emissions and removals.

Recognizing the need to improve scientific understanding of the human influence on atmospheric composition and subsequent environmental impacts, WMO established the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme in 1989.

WMO began developing an Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System (IG³IS) in 2013 as a "science-for-services" initiative based on GAW successes and progress in atmospheric measurements and modelling since 2010. In 2015, the 17^th World Meteorological Congress passed a resolution initiating the development of IG³IS. GAW launched its new implementation plan in 2016, focusing on “science for services” to better meet user needs. Later, GAW developed the Implementation Plan for IG³IS, which was approved by the WMO Executive Council in 2018.

In 2019, the IPCC Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI) recommended incorporating more information on top-down approaches, such as IG3IS, into the 2019 Refinements to the IPCC 2006 Inventory Guidelines.

Timeline

1989	Establishment of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme
WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme was established to improve scientific understanding of the growing influence of human activities on atmospheric composition and subsequent environmental impacts. Long-term GHG observations are coordinated by GAW to understand processes driving GHG long-term variability and trends on the global scale.
2010	Independent studies to evaluate and enhance GHG emission estimates
TThe atmospheric, carbon cycle and climate change science communities produced a number of studies on the potential for atmospheric GHG concentration measurements and model analyses to independently evaluate and help to inform improved estimates of GHG emission [e.g., Verifying Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Methods to Support International Climate Agreements (NAS 2010); GEO Carbon Strategy (GEO 2010); IPCC Task Force on National GHG Inventories: Expert Meeting Report on Uncertainty and Validation of Emission Inventories (IPCC 2010)]. These studies concluded that a realization of this approach would require additional investment in research, increasing the density of well-calibrated atmospheric GHG measurements and improving atmospheric transport modelling and data assimilation capabilities.
2013	Initial idea of “science for services”
Commission for Atmospheric Sciences at its sixteenth session (CAS-16), Antalya, Turkey, 20–26 November 2013 included “Integrated Greenhouse Gas Information System” in the 10-year priorities of CAS. The Executive Council at the session in June 2014 requested the GAW Programme to develop a project plan.
2015	Initiation of IG³IS
In June 2015, the 17th World Meteorological Congress requested a plan for an Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System (IG³IS).
2016	Approval of GAW Implementation plan
Historically, GHG measurements have been made in remote locations that optimized the sampling frequency of global background concentrations. In 2016, GAW launched a new implementation plan built on the concept of “science for services” and bringing an increased user orientation to the programme. IG³IS was included as one of the “science-for services” initiatives of GAW.
2018	The IG³IS Science Implementation Plan and the first Symposium
The 70th WMO Executive Council approved the IG³IS Science Implementation Plan and officially recognized IG³IS as the benchmarking initiative for standards and methodologies for utilisation of atmospheric observations to support quantification of GHG emissions and removals. WMO hosted the First IG³IS Symposium and User Summit at in Geneva that brought together key users from various sectors to engage in dialogue with the technical developers of IG³IS information
2019	Acknowledgement of IG³IS by SBSTA
The 50th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) encouraged the use of IG³IS as an innovative science-based framework that supports the needs of a broad range of users by combining atmospheric observations with other sources of information to enhance understanding of GHG concentrations and fluxes at multiple spatial scales. The IPCC Plenary approved the 2019 Refinement of 2006 Guidelines on National Emission Inventory that included reference to IG³IS in the section related to inventory quality control.
2020	Online IG³IS Stakeholder Consultations
Two online consultations brought together users, scientists, and civil society to discuss how to upscale IG³IS activities across countries, regions, cities, and sectors, and to reflect on examples of where observation-based information has successfully guided climate action with a focus on methane and the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector..
2022	First IG³IS Urban-scale Good Research Practice Guidelines
The first version of the IG³IS Urban Greenhouse Gas Emission Observation and Monitoring Good Research Practice Guidelines was released. The guidelines ensure consistency and transparency, enabling cities, researchers, and policymakers to assess the quality of emissions data and make informed decisions.
2023	IG³IS Stakeholder Consultations and User Summit
The IG³IS Stakeholder Summit demonstrated broad engagement between GHG scientists and stakeholders.
2024	Launch of IG³IS Webinar Series
IG³IS launched a year-long webinar series to showcase ongoing projects and case studies that use IG³IS methodologies. The webinar series invites speakers from around the globe to share their experiences on national, sectoral, or facility-scale IG³IS implementation.
2025	First IG³IS National-scale Good Research Practice Guidelines
IG³IS released the first version of the IG3IS National-scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Observation and Monitoring Good Research Practice Guidelines to highlight emerging science-based approaches that can improve emissions and removals monitoring.