Policy solutions for pressing problems like air pollution require sound data. Emission inventories can help in determining the major sources of air pollution in a given country. 

As a result of integrated air pollution management strategies developed under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention), air quality has improved in the region over the past few decades. However, progress has also been uneven in the UNECE region. In Azerbaijan, for example, growth in industrial production and strong growth in the number of vehicles are the main causes of air pollution and have led to an increase of emissions of main pollutants (nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds).   

Under the Air Convention, UNECE has therefore been assisting countries in the region to develop better emission inventories with a view to facilitating clean air policies and the ratification and implementation of the Air Convention and its key protocols. 

Most recently, UNECE has developed an e-learning course on how to report emissions under the Convention, with the aim to explain the importance of emission inventories for clean air policy development, the requirements for emission inventory reporting and methods for emission estimation.  

The course was presented to Azerbaijani experts this week before a hands-on emission inventory workshop (14-16 November 2023). Since 2019, Azerbaijan has not submitted any emission inventories, a basic requirement under the Convention. There are also still gaps in the completeness of the inventory in the different sectors. 

The workshop to assist Azerbaijan with improving its emission inventory covered requirements and guidelines for reporting emissions under the Convention, as well as instructions on using templates. Experts analyzed the emissions data previously prepared for the 2019 reporting period. Recommendations were also provided on methodologies and data collection approaches. The project was funded by the European Union. 

For more information on capacity-building under the UNECE Air Convention, please visit: http://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/conventions/envlrtapwelcome/capacity-building.html.