City Group on Energy Statistics: Improving International Standards and Methods

1. The Oslo Group UNCEEA June 22-23 2006, New York By Olav Ljones, Statistics Norway

2. Background • Energy at the Statistical Commission, 2005 and 2006 • Energy has very wide influence on economic, environmental, social and political situation • What are the characteristics of energy statistics? • Quality problems • Official statistics a modest role

3. City Group Terms of reference • Objective: To address issues related to energy statistics and contribute to improved international standards and improved methods for official energy statistics by pooling expertise in the energy community.

4. City Group • Actions: • To identify users’ needs; • To define scope of official energy statistics; • To identify and collect national and international best practices; • To review and contribute to the updating of UNSD handbooks and manuals on energy statistics; • To identify gaps in coverage (e.g. fuel types, flows) and to develop methodology to cover gaps; • To adopt link or develop bridges to international standard concepts and classifications in economic/ environment statistics to facilitate the integration and interface of energy statistics with other statistical systems; • To recommend a core set of tables as minimum requirement at national and international level to satisfy major users’ needs.

5. City Group • Participants: • Experts from national statistical offices and/or energy ministries/authorities • Experts from international organizations engaged in energy statistics • Experts from academia: energy sciences, energy economics, statistics • Energy experts from the private sector to be invited to participate as advisers. • Time frame: 5 years, 2006 – 2010 • Working method: Electronic discussions and annual meetings

6. What is a City Group ? • Information on UNSD homepage • Decisions by Statistical Commission • An important topic, • International cooperation on statistical methods will improve official statistics • Dependent of active participation • Duration will be flexible. The Voorburg group (service stat) the first and still exist. Sienna (social stat) was closed down this year • Evaluation (Stat Comm)

7. Present status Oslo Group • First meeting Oslo 2006 • http://www.ssb.no/ocg/ • Next meeting – India • Discussion groups • Review teams • Electronic Discussion Forum. Soon to be released

8. Other activities on energy statistiscs • Stat Com decided to establish an Inter Secretariat Group on Energy Statistics. • Host: IEA Paris • ToR: Data streams int. org. Reduce reporting burden. Improve coordination between int.org. Training. Promote dialog with users. Raise profile of energy stat. • Present situation: Meeting hosted by IEA in ”InterEnerStat”, Future? • Eurostat

9. What is official statistics ? • UN fundamental principles • IMF – principles • Code of practice • Common features: • High quality, best methods • Transparency about methods • Confidentiality • Professional independency • Datacapture reuse of data etc • Dissemination, consistence, comparability, • Standards • Official statistics can be produced by the National Statistical Office or another govnm institution. The important is that the basic principles are accepted and followed

10. Coordination of official statistics • The case of energy, environment and economic statisttics • Reflections from the bottom – the NSI • Success of international cooperation is easier to obtain if it is built on an understanding of how official statistics is co-ordinated at the NSI level • Coherence at national level • International comparability • Data capture strategy – reuse of data. Concern about response burden. Legal base. Confidentiality • Use the best scientific methods • User orientation. Relevance and confidence. Independency

11. Energy statistics • Users, interested in energy markets • Production of energy, energy industries • Economic statistics for non-energy sector (but users of energy) • Households as energy users • National accounts • Emission statistics (computations) • Other environment statistics • National wealth • Sustainable development indicators

12. Elements to be discussed • The production of energy (industrial classification, definitions of energy production sector) • Use of energy as input, as energy and as "chemical" raw material • Business register, to design a survey design to secure full coverage and avoid double counting • Export and import • Prices and costs • The national economic boundary and the territorial boundary • Technical characteristics of production process for energy production, relevant for environment statistics • Technical characteristics for processes for use of energy as input • Energy efficiency in production and in private household • Energy saving concept

13. National Accounts • National Accounts give the full picture of the economic situation and trends, covering all production sectors (incl. energy) and all uses of goods and services. • All kinds of energy products are covered. • This gives NA a possible coordinative functioning. • Supply and Use (input output) tables and energy blances • Prices – fixed price computations • Energy as product (output) • Energy as input in production • Use of energy in private households (consumption) • Export and import of energy • .

14. Environment statistics, Emissions to air • Physical data • Need relevant technical data for environmental effects • The relevant national boundary

15. Sustainable development indicators • Follow the SEEA • National Wealth • Water • Risk, for damages (incl nuclear power pl)

16. Thank you