From 13 to 15 December (1 – 4pm CET), the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) convened a three-day workshop on monitoring, reporting, verification of emissions and the accreditation of verifiers (MRVA) in emissions trading systems (ETS). Participation in the online workshop was open to anyone with an interest in, or professional link to, climate policy and the implementation of MRVA systems for carbon pricing mechanisms. Over 100 participants attended the event from across the globe.

Accurate information on emissions is essential for an ETS. Emissions of covered entities must be accurately monitored and reported to regulators, and these reports must be verified by independent and competent verifiers. Most existing ETS use third party verification: verifiers carrying out verification need to be accredited or regularly supervised.

The objective of the workshop was to offer a deep-dive on MRVA, combining theory, concrete case studies and interactive exercises with insights from practitioners with direct experience in implementing MRVA systems – covering the following issues:

• Introduce key concepts of a monitoring, reporting and verification framework in an ETS
• Significance of robust MRV as part of the compliance cycle
• Choices to be taken when designing an MRVA system
• Solutions for different sectors and installation types
• The role of accreditation bodies or other organisations that accredit or qualify verifiers
• Regulation, oversight and institutional arrangements for MRVA
• Practical challenges in setting up and running an MRVA system