FIGURE 6.1 A conceptual diagram to illustrate the principles underlying greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and accounting, mechanisms for reporting emissions information, and governance structures for GHG information systems. Black dashed arrows represent the transfer of emissions information collected by various entities (e.g., companies, local governments, and non-governmental organizations) for different purposes (energy efficiency, registries, and carbon markets) to overarching administrative bodies. The overarching bodies (created at state or federal levels) provide feedback and assistance on data collection (black dotted arrows). The blue dashed arrow illustrates the adaptive governance approach needed to respond to changing conditions and circumstances. The red triangle illustrates the increasing usefulness of GHG emissions information. This heuristic diagram is not meant to represent all the linkages between components of the GHG management chain.