Climate Analysis Indicators Database from the World Resources Institute (WRI)

Finally, Natural Factor Indicators represent those factors that tend to lie largely beyond the reach of public policy (like climatic conditions, fossil fuel reserves, and geography), but which nevertheless may significantly influence greenhouse gas emissions. CAIT includes emissions of (1) CO2 from fossil fuels and cement (1850-2000), (2) CO2 from land-use changes (1950-2000), (3) and non-CO2 gases, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) (1990, 1995, 2000).

CAIT includes two main groups of countries: (1) Parties to the UNFCCC and (2) non-Parties that are members of the United Nations. All UNFCCC Parties are included in CAIT except Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco (combined with France), San Marino (combined with Italy), and Tuvalu. In these cases, there was inadequate emissions data.

The European Union is also included as a "country" because the European Community (a subset of the EU) is a Party to the Convention. Non-Parties included in CAIT are limited to the following UN member states: Afghanistan, Brunei, Iraq, Liberia, and Turkey. The only exception to the two criteria above is the inclusion of Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), which is neither a UN member nor a Convention Party.

This exception is made because Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) is a significant source of emissions. For more information, see: "cait.wri.org/faq-about-cait.php"