Table 1 Definitions of terms relevant to long-term targets.

Headline target

The country’s long-term target as it is written and referred to within the country’s strategy.

Long-term target

The headline target amended for its gas coverage.

Gas coverage

The GHGs covered by the long-term target. For example, the target may include only carbon dioxide (CO₂) or include, in addition, the other two main greenhouse gases, methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O).

Similarly, it may cover the ‘Kyoto basket’ of gases covered by Annex A of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, including the three main greenhouse gases, plus hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆). It may also include, in addition, nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), which was added in the 2012 Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol. These seven gases continue to be reported under the Paris Agreement, see Decision 18/CMA.1, Annex, paragraph 48.

We differentiate between the consideration of CO₂ only (for example, net zero CO₂), or the consideration of multiple greenhouse gases, implying coverage of at least CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O (for example, net zero GHGs).

Sector coverage

The sectors covered by the long-term target. Sector coverage refers to the inclusion or exclusion of all main sectors, including Energy, Transport [independently or as a subsector of Energy], Industry, Agriculture, Waste, and LULUCF, based upon the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (hereafter the 2006 IPCC Guidelines).

This includes subsectors, sources, or combinations thereof, for example Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU).

IAS inclusion

The inclusion or exclusion of emissions attributable to the country from international aviation and shipping (IAS). Domestic aviation and shipping, emissions from passenger or freight traffic that departs and arrives in the same country, is typically included in national greenhouse gas inventories and therefore long-term targets set, unless otherwise stated⁴⁷.

IAS is typically estimated based on fuel sold, or based on ‘bunker fuels’, but is excluded from national totals and reported separately within national greenhouse gas inventories, and therefore commonly excluded from long-term targets⁴⁷.