St. Louis ? Missouri has joined a multistate climate registry to measure and track greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to the Earth’s warming.

The Climate Registry, launched this spring, will provide a universal reporting system for its member states, tribes and industries.

States were invited to join in March, and so far 31 states, including Kansas and Illinois, one tribe and several provinces have signed on. The Registry will begin collecting data in January.

“We are pleased to be a part of this effort,” Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers said in a statement. “It makes sense for states to work together to jointly develop a platform for greenhouse gas reporting.

“By pooling our efforts, we will save money and end up with a more useful program.”

Missouri had just joined a Midwest regional compact when it received the national invitation, said Leanne Tippett Mosby, DNR’s deputy director of the Division of Environmental Quality.

States have banded together on global warming initiatives, but regional groups decided a national effort would be more effective.

Ron Hammerschmidt, division director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said the agency likes the idea of states collaborating on climate issues.

Data sharing is “an excellent idea,” he said. “We want to get a baseline so we know where we’re going.”

He said any Kansas business that has significant greenhouse gas emissions will be asked to voluntarily report. He wouldn’t predict how or whether the data would be used to reduce emissions.

“This is technical reporting, not public policy making,” he said.

The registry will provide for uniform emissions reporting, a foundation for any future voluntary or mandatory reduction strategy, Tippett Mosby said.

“If something would happen at the federal level, we’d be ready for that, by having accurate information,” she said.

Federal legislation introduced so far has some variation of a cap-and-trade approach to dealing with climate change.

Such a mechanism would place mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions but allow companies to trade emission credits.

Tippett Mosby said Missouri DNR will invite power generators and other businesses with significant greenhouse gas emissions to report them voluntarily.

Many already have expressed interest, realizing that federal regulations are inevitable, she said.

“If we’re not part of a larger initiative, we’ll be isolated without an ability to interact with other states,” she said.

St. Louis-based utility Ameren said it would support the effort.

“It’s good to have a uniform reporting mechanism,” spokesman Tim Fox said.