SciDev.Net

Base Year

According to the IPCC, the base year is that year for which a national inventory is to be taken, which is currently 1990 for Annex I countries. In some cases (such as estimating methane from rice production) the base year is simply the middle of a three-year period over which an average must be taken. A base year may also be used as a reference for establishing an emissions baseline. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the base year for hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride is 1995.