+44 1865 259200
The challenge
Under the UNFCCC, Rwanda is classified as a non-Annex I party, and is required to submit National Communications (NCs) and Biennial Update Reports (BURs) at regular intervals. BURs must be prepared to a high standard ready to undergo an international consultation and analysis (ICA) process which includes a technical analysis on the transparency of mitigation actions and their effects. Rwanda required support during the compilation of its first BUR to ensure that the GHG inventory and mitigation assessments were in line with international best practice.
The solution
As part of the production of the first BUR, a national GHG inventory was compiled and mitigation actions assessed for four sectors in Rwanda; Energy, Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU), Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Waste.
Emma collaborated with the national experts that compiled the GHG inventory and mitigation assessments to provide Quality Assurance (QA) in line with international best practice. The mitigation assessments were compared against the ICA criteria to check alignment with reporting expectations. The GHG inventory chapter of the BUR and the accompanying National Inventory Report (NIR) were also reviewed with the benefit of 10+ years of international experience.
The result
Rwanda submitted its first BUR to the UNFCCC in 2021, with its national GHG inventory and mitigation assessments checked in line with international best practice. A NIR containing in depth detail of the GHG inventory compilation process was also checked and submitted. National experts in Rwanda received technical guidance and support through one-to-one discussions and in-depth feedback on documents and calculations.
Chris Dore
Director
Related case studies
Developing Saint Lucia’s GHG Inventory
Category: National Governments, Emission Inventories
Aether provided capacity building training to the national GHG inventory team of Saint Lucia. A new greenhouse gas inventory was developed together with a National Inventory Report and the inventory Biennial Update Report chapter.
Read case studyLuxembourg 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 studyMontenegro’s Third Biennial Update Report (BUR)
Category: National Governments, MRV
Justin Goodwin was contracted as an international expert to support Montenegro with writing the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) chapter for their third Biennial Update Report.
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
