China should collect more accurate data on greenhouse gas emissions in pilot regional markets before a nationwide carbon trade market is established in 2017, a report released by World Resource Institute China recommended.

The report on domestic and international urban greenhouse gas inventories shows how developed countries, including the United States and Japan, track total emissions from man-made sources and whether they are meeting annual emissions goals.

"An urban greenhouse gas inventory provides a comprehensive accounting of total greenhouse gas emissions and is essential for future policymaking," Li Lailai, the institute's country director, said on Thursday.

As of October, more than 160 cities and counties in China have made greenhouse gas inventories, but efficiency is low due to a lack of experience in data collection and poor coordination between departments, the report said.

China rolled out seven pilot regional carbon trade markets in 2013, but participants have been tempted to trade only for compliance a few months before the deadline, the report said.

Jiang Zhaoli, a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission’s climate change department, said that the report is helpful in providing guidance toward building an efficient nationwide emission trading system by the end of 2017.