WesIngwersen · Oct 26, 2026 · Oct 26, 2026 · Oct 26, 2026 · Oct 26, 2026 · Oct 26, 2026
diff --git a/_parts/custom.css b/_parts/custom.css
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ body {
   opacity: 0.7;
 }
 
-/* Home page tracks: technical documentation (brand blue) and user guide (amber).
-   The card tint and top rule tell the two tracks apart. */
+/* Home page tracks: technical documentation (brand blue), releases (green) and user guide (amber).
+   The card tint and top rule tell the tracks apart. */
 .track-technical .myst-card {
   background-color: #eaf6fb;
   border-color: #9fd3e8;
@@ -144,3 +144,11 @@ body {
 .track-user .myst-card:hover {
   border-color: #e08a1e;
 }
+.track-releases .myst-card {
+  background-color: #edf7ee;
+  border-color: #a5d6a7;
+  border-top: 4px solid #2e9e4f;
+}
+.track-releases .myst-card:hover {
+  border-color: #2e9e4f;
+}
diff --git a/data/country_tiers.csv b/data/country_tiers.csv
diff --git a/ee/country-tiers.md b/ee/country-tiers.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: "GHG data by country tier"
 ---
 
 :::{tip} Summary
-The emissions data for each country follow its {term}`tier <Country tier>`: a detailed facility- and inventory-based model for the U.S., national sources for the four Tier 1 countries, the FIGARO or ICIO emissions data for Tier 2, and a scaled template for Tier 3. Within Tier 2, the detail available differs by source.
+The emissions data for each country follow its {term}`tier <Country tier>`: a detailed facility- and inventory-based model for the U.S., national sources for the four Tier 1 countries, the FIGARO or ICIO emissions data for Tier 2, and scaled proxy emissions for Tier 3. Within Tier 2, the detail available differs by source.
 :::
 
 :::{note} Draft
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ The emissions data for each country follow its {term}`tier <Country tier>`: a de
 | Tier 1 | China, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom | National sources for each country | 2018–2023 | All 7 gases, with gaps filled for South Korea |
 | Tier 2, FIGARO | 40 countries | FIGARO emissions data from Eurostat | 2023 | 6 gas groups |
 | Tier 2, ICIO | 20 countries | OECD emissions data matched to the ICIO tables | 2020 | Total CO₂e only |
-| Tier 3 | 83 countries | A template scaled to each country's fossil CO₂ per unit of GDP from {term}`EDGAR` | 2018 | CO₂, with other gases from U.S. ratios |
+| Tier 3 | 83 countries | Proxy emissions scaled to each country's fossil CO₂ per unit of GDP from {term}`EDGAR` | 2018 | CO₂, with other gases from U.S. ratios |
 | Rest of world | | Pooled from four Tier 2 countries | 2020–2023 | As for those countries |
 
 ## Tier 0: The U.S. GHG model
@@ -98,13 +98,13 @@ The products are then mapped to the common sectors with {term}`ABSR`. The last g
 
 The OECD data give one CO₂e total for each of the 50 industries, with no split by gas. Farming is split out first, using FAOSTAT CH₄ and N₂O [@faoFAOSTATEmissionsTotals2025], before the totals are mapped to the common sectors with ABSR. The split by gas comes entirely from the U.S. mix for each sector. Electricity is mapped as one sector, with no separate split for gas and heat.
 
-## Tier 3: Template emissions
+## Tier 3: Proxy emissions
 
-Tier 3 countries have no emissions data matched to an IO table. Their direct emission intensities start from the same template as their input recipe, a blend of Mexico (30%), Malaysia (30%), and Tunisia (40%). The template uses those countries' CO₂ emissions by industry for 2018, from the OECD's 2021 edition of CO₂ emissions embodied in international trade [@oecdCarbonDioxideEmissions2021]. Other gases are added using the U.S. ratio of total CO₂e to CO₂ in each sector.
+Tier 3 countries have no emissions data matched to an IO table. Their direct emission intensities start from the same blend as their proxy table: Mexico (30%), Malaysia (30%), and Tunisia (40%). The proxy emissions use those countries' CO₂ emissions by industry for 2018, from the OECD's 2021 edition of CO₂ emissions embodied in international trade [@oecdCarbonDioxideEmissions2021]. Other gases are added using the U.S. ratio of total CO₂e to CO₂ in each sector.
 
-Each country then adjusts the template two ways:
+Each country then adjusts the proxy emissions two ways:
 
-- **Overall level.** All intensities are scaled by the country's fossil CO₂ per unit of GDP relative to the template's. Fossil CO₂ is from EDGAR (version 6.0) for 2018 [@crippaGHGEmissionsAll2021; @monfortiferrarioEDGARV60Greenhouse2021], and GDP from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2021) [@imfWorldEconomicOutlook2021].
+- **Overall level.** All intensities are scaled by the country's fossil CO₂ per unit of GDP relative to the proxy's. Fossil CO₂ is from EDGAR (version 6.0) for 2018 [@crippaGHGEmissionsAll2021; @monfortiferrarioEDGARV60Greenhouse2021], and GDP from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2021) [@imfWorldEconomicOutlook2021].
 - **Electricity.** The electricity sector uses the country's own power-sector CO₂ from EDGAR for 2018, divided by the value of its electricity output: 2018 generation from the U.S. Energy Information Administration [@eiaInternationalEnergyStatistics2026] times an average electricity price from the World Bank.
 
 ## Rest of world
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ Emissions stay at their data year. For the data year of each country's IO table,
 - **Why we make it:** EDGAR merges some activities that CEDS keeps separate, such as public power plants and on-site generation, and refining and extraction.
 - **How it affects results:** The split between these industries changes, but the country's total for the group is unchanged.
 
-**Tier 3 countries share one template**
+**Tier 3 countries share one set of proxy emissions**
 
 - **Assumption:** Tier 3 countries share one pattern of direct emission intensities. They differ only in their overall level, set by fossil CO₂ per unit of GDP, and in their electricity intensity.
 - **Why we make it:** These countries have no emissions data by sector.

diff --git a/factors/calculation.md b/factors/calculation.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ The direct emission factors `D` are part of the model but are not published as a
 
 ## Tier 3 countries
 
-The 83 Tier 3 countries are not part of the multi-region table, so their factors are calculated one country at a time, from the template described in [](../io/country-tiers.md#tier-3-no-io-tables) and [](../ee/country-tiers.md#tier-3-template-emissions). Each country's domestic inputs carry its own direct emission intensities through its domestic total requirements, `(I − Adom)⁻¹`. Its imported inputs carry China's total emission factors from the multi-region table. The two parts are added to give the country's `M`.
+The 83 Tier 3 countries are not part of the multi-region table, so their factors are calculated one country at a time, from the proxy table and proxy emissions described in [](../io/country-tiers.md#tier-3-proxy-tables) and [](../ee/country-tiers.md#tier-3-proxy-emissions). Each country's domestic inputs carry its own direct emission intensities through its domestic total requirements, `(I − Adom)⁻¹`. Its imported inputs carry China's total emission factors from the multi-region table. The two parts are added to give the country's `M`.
 
 ## Regional and global averages
 

diff --git a/faq.md b/faq.md
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ The factors are published by the Cornerstone Sustainability Data Initiative unde
 :::
 
 :::{dropdown} What does a country's tier mean for how much I can rely on its factors?
-Countries are grouped in four tiers by the input-output data available for them. Tier 0 (US) has detailed annual tables, Tier 1 (China, Japan, South Korea, UK) uses detailed national tables, Tier 2 (60 countries) uses coarser multi-regional tables from FIGARO or ICIO, and Tier 3 (83 countries) has no usable table and uses a template built from other countries. Factors for Tier 3 countries carry more uncertainty. See [](io/country-tiers.md) for the IO data, [](ee/country-tiers.md) for the emissions data and [](reference/methods-by-country.md).
+Countries are grouped in four tiers by the input-output data available for them. Tier 0 (US) has detailed annual tables, Tier 1 (China, Japan, South Korea, UK) uses detailed national tables, Tier 2 (60 countries) uses coarser multi-regional tables from FIGARO or ICIO, and Tier 3 (83 countries) has no usable table and uses a proxy table built from other countries. Factors for Tier 3 countries carry more uncertainty. See [](io/country-tiers.md) for the IO data, [](ee/country-tiers.md) for the emissions data and [](reference/methods-by-country.md).
 :::
 
 :::{dropdown} Can I get help applying the changes to my footprint?

diff --git a/figures/diagrams/country-tiers-map.svg b/figures/diagrams/country-tiers-map.svg
diff --git a/figures/diagrams/quality-pipeline.svg b/figures/diagrams/quality-pipeline.svg
diff --git a/figures/scripts/tier_map.py b/figures/scripts/tier_map.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def main() -> None:
         (TIER_COLORS["0"], "Tier 0", "United States"),
         (TIER_COLORS["1"], "Tier 1", f"National tables ({counts['1']})"),
         (TIER_COLORS["2"], "Tier 2", f"FIGARO or ICIO ({counts['2']})"),
-        (TIER_COLORS["3"], "Tier 3", f"Template ({counts['3']})"),
+        (TIER_COLORS["3"], "Tier 3", f"Proxy tables ({counts['3']})"),
         (NOT_MODELED, "Not modeled", "Part of rest of world"),
     ]
     ly = MAP_TOP + MAP_H + 30

diff --git a/index.md b/index.md
@@ -57,9 +57,18 @@ How the results compare with independent evidence.
 The methods and data behind each country in the model.
 :::
 
-:::{card} Release details
-:link: releases/index.md
-Release notes, summaries of changes and change logs.
+::::
+
+## Releases
+
+What each release contains and how it differs from USEEIO and CEDA.
+
+::::{grid} 1 2 2 3
+:class: track-releases
+
+:::{card} 2026-rc.1 release note
+:link: releases/rc.md
+The first release candidate, with the spend-based emission factors.
 :::
 
 ::::

diff --git a/io/country-tiers.md b/io/country-tiers.md
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@ Countries by tier. Darker means more detailed IO data. Small countries are shown
 
 The model covers 148 countries plus a rest-of-world region. A country's tier sets which type of table it starts from, how much sector detail that table has, and how it is valued.
 
-| {term}`Country tier` | Countries | Starting tables |
-|---|---|---|
-| Tier 0 | United States | {term}`Make and Use tables <Make/Use framework>` for 2024 produced by Cornerstone (nowcast), after {term}`redefinitions <Redefinitions>`, following BEA's 2017 detailed schema |
-| Tier 1 | China, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom | IO tables published by each country's statistical agency |
-| Tier 2 | 60 countries | The country's table from {term}`FIGARO` (40 countries) or the {term}`ICIO` (20 countries) |
-| Tier 3 | 83 countries | No usable table: a template built from other countries' tables |
+| {term}`Country tier` | Countries | Share of world GDP | Starting tables |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Tier 0 | United States | 26.2% | {term}`Make and Use tables <Make/Use framework>` for 2024 produced by Cornerstone (nowcast), after {term}`redefinitions <Redefinitions>`, following BEA's 2017 detailed schema |
+| Tier 1 | China, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom | 25.5% | IO tables published by each country's statistical agency |
+| Tier 2 | 60 countries | 40.7% | The country's table from {term}`FIGARO` (40 countries) or the {term}`ICIO` (20 countries) |
+| Tier 3 | 83 countries | 5.2% | Proxy table recreated from other countries with available data |
+
+Share of world GDP is each tier's 2024 GDP in current US dollars divided by world GDP. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (`NY.GDP.MKTP.CD`), retrieved October 2026. The shares sum to less than 100% because countries in the rest-of-world region are not counted, and because the World Bank does not report Taiwan (Tier 2).
 
 ## Tier 0: Detailed, annual IO tables
 
@@ -72,15 +74,15 @@ Both are inter-country tables, so each country's own block of the table gives it
 
 Before mapping, five of FIGARO's broad sectors are split into finer ones while keeping their totals: electricity, gas, and heat; water, sewerage, and waste; basic metals (steel, other ferrous, non-ferrous); non-metallic minerals (cement, other); mining (five sectors); and agriculture (11 farm sectors). The tables are then mapped to the common sectors with {term}`ABSR`, and converted to 2024 U.S. dollars the same way as Tier 1.
 
-## Tier 3: No IO tables
+## Tier 3: Proxy tables
 
 The 83 countries that are in neither Tier 1 nor Tier 2 have no usable published table. They are not part of the multi-region table; their factors are calculated one country at a time.
 
-- **Input recipe.** All 83 share one template recipe, a weighted blend of three Tier 2 economies: Mexico (30%), Malaysia (30%), and Tunisia (40%).
-- **Imports.** Each country's own import share splits the template into domestic and imported inputs, with the same share for every sector. The supply chains behind those imports are approximated with China's.
+- **Input recipe.** All 83 share one proxy table recipe, a weighted blend of three Tier 2 economies: Mexico (30%), Malaysia (30%), and Tunisia (40%).
+- **Imports.** Each country's own import share splits the proxy table into domestic and imported inputs, with the same share for every sector. The supply chains behind those imports are approximated with China's.
 - **Emissions.** Direct emission intensities are scaled to the country's own emissions per unit of GDP, and electricity uses the country's own emission intensity.
 
-This template is separate from the rest-of-world region in the multi-region table, which is built from different countries (see [](index.md)).
+This proxy table is separate from the rest-of-world region in the multi-region table, which is built from different countries (see [](index.md)).
 
 ## Currency
 
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ All tables are converted to 2024 U.S. dollars. Sector lists are reconciled in th
 
 **Tier 3 countries share one recipe**
 
-- **Assumption:** Tier 3 countries share one template input recipe. Each country differs only in its overall import share, applied equally to every sector, and in its direct emission intensities, which are scaled to the country's emissions per unit of GDP, with its own electricity intensity. Their imported supply chains are approximated with China's.
+- **Assumption:** Tier 3 countries share one proxy table input recipe. Each country differs only in its overall import share, applied equally to every sector, and in its direct emission intensities, which are scaled to the country's emissions per unit of GDP, with its own electricity intensity. Their imported supply chains are approximated with China's.
 - **Why we make it:** These countries have no usable published IO table.
 - **How it affects results:** Differences in industry structure between Tier 3 countries are not captured, and imports from countries other than China are given China's supply chains. Factors for these countries carry more uncertainty than those for Tiers 0 to 2.
 :::