IRES Chapter XI — Uses of Basic Energy Statistics and Balances

Chapter XI (PDF pp. 148–160) illustrates the different uses of the data items presented in Chapter VI and the energy balances presented in Chapter VIII, in the compilation of other statistics or indicators related to energy statistics [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.1, PDF p. 148, 2018]. It has four sections: A (introduction), B (SEEA-Energy accounts), C (energy indicators), and D (greenhouse gas emissions) [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.2–11.4, PDF p. 148, 2018].

This digest covers the full chapter (Sections A–D, paras 11.1–11.48, PDF pp. 148–157): introduction, the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Energy, energy indicators, and greenhouse gas emissions.

A. Introduction (paras 11.1–11.4)

• Chapter XI illustrates uses of the Chapter VI data items and Chapter VIII energy balances in compiling other statistics or indicators [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.1, PDF p. 148, 2018].
• Section B: a brief description of SEEA-Energy’s energy accounts — main conceptual/definitional differences from energy balances, the main adjustments needed to link the two systems, and additional data items needed to compile energy accounts from energy balances [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.2, PDF p. 148, 2018].
• Section C: a list of energy indicators as a tool for monitoring policies, mostly derivable from the Chapter VI data items [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.3, PDF p. 148, 2018].
• Section D: reference material for using basic energy statistics and balances to calculate energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, deferring method detail to the IPCC guidelines [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.4, PDF p. 148, 2018].

B. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Energy (paras 11.5–11.28)

Full detail is on System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Energy and Energy Accounts. Summary:

• The forthcoming SEEA-Energy provides a conceptual framework for organizing energy-related information consistent with SNA concepts, definitions and classifications, supporting analysis of energy’s role in the economy and its relationship to the environment. It consists of three account types: (a) physical flow accounts, recorded in the physical supply and use table (PSUT); (b) monetary flow accounts for energy-related transactions; and (c) asset accounts, in physical and monetary terms, for mineral and energy resource stocks [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.5, PDF pp. 148–149, 2018].
• Conceptual differences. The main conceptual difference between energy balances and accounts is geographical coverage: balances use the territory principle (all units physically located in the national territory); accounts use the residence principle (all institutional units resident in the national economy, independent of physical location) [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.7–11.8, PDF p. 149, 2018]. This changes how imports/exports and product use are recorded — see Energy Accounts for the worked consequences [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.9–11.11, PDF p. 149, 2018].
• Terminological differences. “Supply,” “final consumption,” “stocks” and “stock changes” are defined differently in the two systems — most notably, the balance-side total energy supply (TES) formula (production + imports − exports − international bunkers − stock changes) is restated in Chapter XI itself [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.12–11.16, PDF pp. 149–150, 2018]. See Total Energy Supply for the full TES treatment.
• Presentational differences. Energy accounts strictly follow ISIC Rev. 4 categories in their standard tables; energy balances instead group information by type of use (e.g., a standalone “transport” aggregate, and separate “transformation”/“energy industries own use” entries), and allow a “statistical difference” balancing item that accounts do not permit [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.17–11.20, PDF pp. 150–151, 2018].
• Adjustments for the compilation of energy accounts. Basic energy statistics and balances can source the SEEA-Energy PSUTs, but require adjustments: on imports/exports (resident/non-resident reclassification), other geographical-coverage adjustments (bunkering, enclave treatment), reallocation/regrouping to ISIC categories, and bridge tables linking total supply/use between the two systems. Additional data items are needed to support these adjustments (e.g., resident/non-resident bunkering breakdowns) [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.21–11.27, PDF p. 151, 2018].
• Recommendation (tracker row XI/11.28): countries are encouraged to clearly document and make available the methods used for reallocating and adjusting basic-statistics/balance data to energy accounts [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.28, PDF p. 151, 2018].

C. Energy indicators (paras 11.29–11.33)

Full detail, including the three tables reproduced verbatim, is on Energy Indicators. Summary:

• Energy indicators summarize information and monitor trends reflecting a country’s energy situation over time; a number can be compiled from basic energy statistics, energy balances and energy accounts. The set a country compiles depends on national circumstances, priorities, sustainability and development objectives, and data availability [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.29–11.30, PDF p. 152, 2018].
• Core sustainable-development indicators come from a joint 2005 IAEA/ UNDESA/IEA/Eurostat/EEA publication, organized in three dimensions — social, economic, environmental — by theme and sub-theme. IRES reproduces them as Table 11.1 (social, SOC1–4), Table 11.2 (economic, ECO1–16) and Table 11.3 (environmental, ENV1–10); most are derivable from the Chapter VI data items, though some need additional collected information [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.31, PDF p. 152, 2018]. Table 11.2’s ECO1, ECO2, ECO11 and ECO13 name total primary energy supply and total final consumption directly as components [IRES, Ch. XI, Table 11.2, PDF p. 153, 2018].
• Energy efficiency indicators (IEA-led work) are a growing area but mostly out of scope here — they need more detail than the Chapter VI data items provide [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.32, PDF p. 152, 2018].
• Recommendation (tracker row XI/11.33): the indicator list presented is not exhaustive; countries are encouraged to develop indicators matching their own policy concerns and data availability [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.33, PDF p. 152, 2018].

D. Greenhouse gas emissions (paras 11.34–11.48)

Full detail, including Box 11.1 reproduced verbatim, is on Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Summary:

• Recommendation (tracker row XI/11.34): basic energy statistics and energy balances are the main data sources for energy-related GHG emissions, since the IPCC Guidelines share the same conceptual framework; countries are encouraged to verify and adjust compiled data for international comparability [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.34, PDF p. 154, 2018].
• Climate-change background: the 1979 First World Climate Conference first acknowledged the greenhouse effect as a global problem; the IPCC was established in 1988 by UNEP and WMO; its AR4 (2007) and AR5 (2013) assessments underpin the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement treaty framework [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.35–11.37, PDF pp. 154–155, 2018].
• IPCC Guidelines lineage: 1996 Revised Guidelines → 2000 Good Practice Guidance → 2003 LULUCF Good Practice Guidance → 2006 Guidelines (prepared at UNFCCC’s invitation; mandatory for Annex I Parties’ submissions from 2015). The Guidelines cover direct GHGs (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6, …) and indirect GHGs (NOX, NH3, NMVOC, CO, SO2) [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.38–11.40, PDF p. 155, 2018].
• Box 11.1 sets out the sectoral approach (Tier 1/2/3, by data granularity) and the five-step “top-down” reference approach for cross-checking CO2 estimates [IRES, Ch. XI, Box 11.1, PDF p. 156, 2018].
• Energy-sector emission sources: fuel combustion (by industries/manufacturing/transport/other/non-specified) vs. fugitive emissions (solid fuels, oil and gas) [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.42, PDF p. 156, 2018]. Energy accounted for roughly 70% of global GHG emissions in 2010 per AR5 [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.43, PDF p. 157, 2018].
• The emissions equation: Emissions = Fuel combusted × Emission factor, applied per source category and summed to sectoral/national CO2- equivalent totals [IRES, Ch. XI, para. 11.44, PDF p. 157, 2018].
• Data-quality dependence: GHG-estimate quality depends critically on the quality of national energy statistics; UNSD and IEA are the two main international sources when national data are unavailable [IRES, Ch. XI, paras 11.45–11.47, PDF p. 157, 2018].

Page map

Section	Wiki page
A (introduction)	this digest
B (SEEA-Energy accounts, differences, adjustments)	System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Energy, Energy Accounts, Total Energy Supply
C (energy indicators)	Energy Indicators
D (greenhouse gas emissions)	Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Note: Total Final Consumption is promoted from Chapter VIII material (energy-balance.md) rather than from this chapter, but is cross-linked here because Chapter XI’s Table 11.2 (Section C) uses it as an indicator input.

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