In July, the Global Subsidies Initiative published the second policy brief in its series looking at how fossil-fuel subsidies can be defined, measured and evaluated: A How-to Guide: Measuring subsidies to fossil-fuel producers. The brief identifies how, once subsidies have been defined, different types of subsidy can be measured using different methodologies, referring readers to the relevant section of an in-depth technical manual for more information.

The manual, Subsidy Estimation: a survey of current practice, also recently published by the GSI, is targeted primarily at individuals who are interested in preparing estimates of subsidies to particular products or sectors and not only fossil-fuels. It draws together and presents different valuation methods, mainly used by intergovernmental organizations and governments. While for most estimation methods the document quotes multiple sources, often the approaches do not actually differ fundamentally, and the paper recommends that users opt for the one they find most intuitive and for which they have the available data.

The GSI states that both documents are intended to kick-start a dialogue on how to reconcile differences between methods, providing guidance on when each should be used and establishing best-practice recommendations. They are freely available on the GSI's website: http://www.globalsubsidies.org/research/fossil-fuel-subsidies