The "Climate Change Response Act" was announced and implemented last year, introducing key mechanisms such as "voluntary emission reduction trading," "increased emission offset trading," and "carbon rights trading." The operation of these mechanisms requires clear and reliable inspection of greenhouse gas emissions.

To this end, the Ministry of Environment revised the "Greenhouse Gas Inspection Guidelines" on June 19 of this year. The key points are as follows:

1. Ensuring the fairness and independent nature of inspection results  

Inspection bodies should conduct inspections as impartial third parties. The guidelines list situations where conflicts of interest should be avoided, such as the inspector and the inspected entity not being affiliated companies.

2. Specifying inspection procedures to improve quality  

The guidelines also outline items to be inspected, including setting inventory boundaries, identifying emission sources, and calculating emissions. It clarifies potential uncertainties to ensure that inspection data is clearer and more credible.

3. Detailing the implementation methods for voluntary reduction projects  

The guidelines specify key aspects that shall be considered for voluntary reductions, such as the applicability of reduction methods, how to conduct baseline scenario assessments, and the additionality analysis required for different project scales, providing clear guidance for participants.

In addition, the guidelines explicitly prohibit institutions from using false advertisements to promote courses that claim to qualify inspectors.

The provisions above aim to ensure the credibility of greenhouse gas emissions data, hence providing a solid foundation for carbon trading mechanisms. The revised provisions will take effect on January 1, 2025, and relevant entities can prepare in advance. The implementation is expected to accelerate the realization of net-zero emissions by 2050.

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