From greenhouse gas inventories to digital emissions management in Vietnam’s oil and gas industry

This study proposes a digital greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management framework tailored to the characteristics of Vietnam’s oil and gas value chain, addressing the limitations of inventory practices that rely primarily on spreadsheets and manual aggregation. The methodology includes a review of the GHG Protocol, IPCC, and IPIECA/API/IOGP guidance; analysis of oil and gas activities; identification of data requirements; and the design of a data model and processing architecture. The findings indicate that the system should manage emissions across multiple levels, ranging from organization, facility, process, equipment, emission source, and gas type to activity data, emission factors, calculation methods/Tiers, and results. A Star Schema is proposed to separate source data, emission factors, methodologies, and results while integrating uncertainty, QA/QC, version control, and recalculation capabilities. The proposed architecture, including: Excel/SharePoint, database, calculation module, Power BI, and reporting - supports phased implementation. The principal contribution is to shift the object of management from the “emission number” itself to the “data lineage that produces the number,” thereby providing a foundation for MRV, verification, and emissions-reduction governance.