Every year, Sweden submits its national greenhouse gas inventory to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Also, around every five years Sweden submits a national communication to the UNFCCC. The national communication entails a comprehensive review of both national emissions and the effects of measures taken.
Sweden's Fourth National Communication was submitted to the Convention secretariat on 1 January 2006. This report was compiled by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the Swedish Energy Agency.
The report contains a detailed examination and collation of Swedish emissions data and Swedish circumstances in general. The purpose of the national communication is to describe the historical trend in emissions in the country and to provide a forecast of future emissions (up to 2020). The report also describes national policy on limiting emissions and what the country is doing to increase knowledge of the problem of climate change and to assist developing countries. The overall purpose is to show what the country is doing to fulfil the requirements agreed in UNFCCC.
Report on demonstrable progress
Under the Kyoto Protocol, all Annex 1 countries have to show what progress has been made towards fulfilling the commitments contained in the protocol. A demonstrable progress report was therefore submitted to the UN's Climate Secretariat at the end of 2005. Several important advances regarding the trend in emissions (around two per cent lower in 2003 than in 1990) are reported here. Effects of implemented instruments and an analysis of emissions per sector of society are reported, and the situation in relation to Sweden's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol is assessed.
The EU also submits a joint report on demonstrable progress in the Union. The member states of the EU submitted an updated emissions forecast to the European Commission by 15 June 2005 to provide the basis for the Commission's demonstrable progress report.
Reporting to the EU
Alongside the national communication, Sweden has to submit an annual report on emissions ("National Inventory Report" – NIR) to the European Commission and the UNFCCC. Every two years Sweden also reports on emission projections and on a description of policies and measures and their contributions to reducing emissions. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the reporting.