Description of EDGAR Version 2.0: A set of global emission inventories of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances for all anthropogenic and most natural sources on a per country basis and on 1 degree x 1 degree grid

The purpose of the EDGAR database was to estimate for 1990 the annual emissions per sector of direct and indirect greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, CO, NO_x, non-methane VOC) and SO₂, including ozone-depleting compounds (halocarbons), on a region/country and grid basis. To meet the aim of establishing the global emissions from both anthropogenic and biogenic sources, a complete set of data would be required. This is to allow estimation of the total source strength of the various gases with a 1 degree x 1 degree resolution (altitude resolution of 1 km), as agreed upon in the Global Emissions Inventory Activity (GEIA) of the International Atmospheric Chemistry Programme (IGAC).

As insights in this field are still changing, due attention was paid in the setup of the system to flexibility on the disaggregation of sources, spatial and temporal resolution, and species. This report presents a description of the construction and contents of the database, as well as the type and sources of data.

Subsequently, the following topics are discussed:

• methodology used in establishing the set of inventories, structure and main functions of the database system
• setup of the emission source categories
• description of sources and related data (activity levels, emission factors, maps used to allocate emissions on grid)
• resulting emission inventories (by region and on grid) including a first validation
• uncertainties and limitations
• policy applications
• conclusions summarising the achievements of this project