+44 1865 259200
Aether leads the compilation and reporting of greenhouse gas and air pollution inventories for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as a part of its role within the wider UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory programme. These inventories are a vital evidence-base for policy makers to track progress towards emissions targets, whilst also identifying the priorities for further policy intervention on a regional level. These Devolved Administration inventories are part of the UK NAEI programme, and are compiled and published annually on the NAEI website.
The challenge
Aether is required to publish the greenhouse gas and air pollution inventories annually, following the schedule in the table below.
| Reporting obligation | Publication deadline |
|---|---|
| Greenhouse gas emissions datasets for by-source, end-user, and traded / non-traded emissions | June |
| Air pollutant emissions datasets and accompanying report | September |
The Devolved Administration inventories are based principally on the UK emissions inventory, which uses a wide range of data sources and modelling techniques to estimate emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants annually to a high degree of certainty. However, many of these data sources lack enough detail to enable the direct estimate of emissions for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland individually. As a result, alternative models and calculations are required to disaggregate the UK-wide figures to each of the Devolved Administrations.
The solution
Aether staff are specialists in the preparation, management, and reporting of emissions inventories. Our team has a wealth of expertise and have significant experience in the development of inventories globally, as well as for the Devolved Administrations. We use this expertise to develop, test, and implement alternative modelling approaches to disaggregate emissions, particularly across the energy supply, domestic, industrial processes, and waste sectors. Our knowledge in this area ensures that the emissions inventories are as accurate and robust as possible. Our transparent approach to our work is appreciated by key stakeholders in each region ensuring the data is used with confidence and purpose.
The result
Aether first led on the publication of the air pollution inventory for the Devolved Administrations in 2021 (link to NAEI report), and, with the support of other members of the NAEI consortium (Ricardo Energy & Environment, UKCEH, Rothamsted Research, Forest Research, ADAS, and Gluckman Consulting) will continue to publish these inventories annually for the next three years.
Chris Dore
Director
Related case studies
Luxembourg Climate Action: Stakeholder engagement and reporting Portal
Category: National Governments, Policies and Measures
Aether developed an innovative online platform, or Portal, for gathering, analysing and reporting Luxembourg’s climate policies and measures. The Portal acts as a central point for stakeholder engagement and keeps a live master list of national climate actions, with associated impact and cost analysis.
Read case studyRwanda: Review of GHG inventory, mitigation assessments and national reports
Category: National Governments
Emma Salisbury was contracted as an international expert to support Rwanda’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Read case studyDevolved Administration Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Inventories
Category: National Governments, Emission Inventories
Aether is now leading on the compilation and reporting of greenhouse gas and air pollution inventories for England and the Devolved Administrations, as a part of the wider UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory programme.
Read case studyNews
Latest news
Posted on: 17 March 2026
Central Asia Study Tour: Air Quality Workshop
Aether provided representatives from Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan) who were visiting the UK on a study tour with an introduction to air quality management.
Read full storyPosted on: 13 January 2026
Devolved Governments Air Pollutant Emissions Inventories
The air pollutant emissions inventories for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland were published in September 2025. The data covers the period 2005 to 2023, for the pollutants ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, PM10, PM2.5, sulphur dioxide, and lead.
Read full storyPosted on: 11 December 2025
Aether provided training to strengthen Government of Jersey’s climate policy modelling capacity
Aether completed a project for to train staff in Government of Jersey in using Aether's Carbon Scenario Model to quantify the carbon impacts of net zero policies. The model is a key tool for the Government of Jersey for informing policy decisions on climate actions, and other related policies.
Read full storyPosted on: 6 October 2025
Aether Experts Contribute to IPCC Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers
In the first week of October Richard Claxton and Sergii Shmarin were in Istanbul, contributing as lead authors to the upcoming IPCC Methodology Report on Short-Lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs). SLCFs - such as black carbon, and other ozone precursors play a critical role in climate change and air quality. The new methodology report will provide essential guidance for countries to improve their emissions inventories and strengthen climate action.
Read full storyFilter news by category
Aether Blog Air Pollution Air Quality Assessments Barriers to Net Zero Capacity Building Carbon Footprint Climate Emergency Climate Equality Climate Finance Consumption COP28 Culture Data Visualisation Economic Status Emissions Reporting European Topic Centre GHG Infrastructure Inventories Local Government Mitigation MRV National Government Net Zero Oxfam Paris Agreement Policy Recruitment Society Stakeholder Engagement Waste Sector Wider Impacts
Testimonial
