I. Title of the Best Practice

II. Overview of the Best Practice

The UK Government has developed guidelines to help those businesses who want to report on their greenhouse gas emissions. This sets voluntary standards for public quantitative reporting by big companies of their greenhouse gas emissions. The guidelines follow a model for public reporting by companies of their greenhouse gas emissions that was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme. Use of these guidelines is at an early stage, but the reaction so far has been encouraging and we expect take-up to increase significantly over the next few years.

The guidelines provide a step by step approach that companies say makes it easier for them to report to a common standard, and identify and measure their emissions from a wide range of sources including electricity and other energy use in buildings, transport and specialist process emissions.

By promoting public reporting on emissions, the Government is encouraging companies to respond to broader moves for reductions in greenhouse gases, as well as helping them to identify where their main emissions come from and set themselves published targets for reduction. It makes it easier for companies to respond strategically to national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to demonstrate publicly that they are doing so.

The guidelines were prepared with considerable involvement and input from leading businesses. They were launched in summer 1999, and so far a dozen companies are using them to publish data, with another dozen or so informing us that they are working on it.

The Government has set itself a public target that the top 350 companies should report to this standard by the end of 2001.

III. Categorizing the Best Practice

1. Classifications
( ) Regulatory approach
( X ) Practical action
( ) Social network mechanism

2. Social actions involved
( ) Citizens
( X ) Central Government
( ) Local Government
( X ) Business

3. Sector(s)
( ) Energy
( ) Household
( X ) Transportation
( X ) Industrial enterprises
( X ) Other (Non-Industrial) Business
( ) Agriculture/land use/forestry
( ) Other

4. Target greenhouse gas(es)
( X ) CO2
( X ) CH4
( X ) N2O
( X ) HFC
( X ) PFC
( X ) SF6
( ) Other

IV. List of Attachments

Copy of the guidelines for company reporting on greenhouse gas emissions

V. Contact

Contact Person:	Henry Cleary
Organization:	Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions
Email:	Henry_Cleary@detr.gis.gov.uk
Tel:	+44 171 890 6590
Fax:	+44 171 890 6559
Address:	Ashdown House 123 Victoria Street London SW1E 6DE United Kingdom