Options and Guidance for the Development of Baselines

Developed under the auspices of the
Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR) and with advice and
input from its Baselines Working Group, this document offers
guidance and options for the development of emissions
baselines, a key component for assessing the emission
reductions in in both market and non-market based
mechanisms. In the context of this document, a baseline
refers to a scenario that describes expected or desired
greenhouse gas emissions levels and that can be used as a
basis for determining the amount of emissions reductions
achieved as the result of a crediting, trading, or other
mechanism. This document is divided into two parts. Part one
(sections two and three) presents the context for emissions
baselines, introduces key concepts and terms, and describes
principles, considerations, and potential trade-offs that
can inform decisions in the development of robust and
transparent baselines. Part two provides a step-by-step
description of how guidance users , a term we use here for
those using this guidance, can develop baselines. Part two
begins with a brief description of options for baseline
development and approval, and proceeds in six further
sections (5-10) to present options to define and update
baselines. In the future, this document will be supplemented
by additional documents illustrating how the guidance
presented here can be applied to specific market or
non-market mechanisms involving a variety of economic
sectors and GHG emission sources. Finally, this document is
intended to be dynamic. Over time, as experience is gained
and consensus emerges on best practices, this document may
evolve to provide more specific guidelines, where and as appropriate.