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Quality assurance and quality control
The application of QA/QC procedures is an essential requirement of the GHG inventory development and submission process in order to ensure and improve transparency, consistency, comparability, completeness, and confidence in the national emission and removal estimates for the purpose of meeting Canada’s reporting commitments under the UNFCCC.
The data used to compile the NIR are calculated by designated experts within the Greenhouse Gas Division at Environment Canada and are reviewed internally. A draft inventory is then distributed in a formal review process to the Emissions and Projections Working Group (EPWG). The EPWG includes representatives of provincial, territorial, and federal government departments working in the field of air pollution measurement and estimation.
Emission estimates for the various sectors are also reviewed by experts who provided the source data, such as Statistics Canada (energy data, livestock and crop production statistics), Natural Resources Canada (mineral production and forest statistics), Agriculture Canada, and industrial associations. The inventory is then submitted to the UNFCCC in April of each year. Subsequently, the inventory is subject to a formal review by a UN Expert Review Team.
The review of inventories by the UNFCCC is a three-stage process and provides a thorough technical assessment of the inventory. Each stage of the review is finalized with a review report, which is published on the secretariat website (www.unfccc.int). Annual review of individual inventories became mandatory in 2003, ensuring that adequate consideration is given to recalculations and emission trends over time. International teams of sectoral inventory experts examine the data, methods, and procedures used in preparing the inventory.
