UNITED NATIONSECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFICSTATISTICAL INSTITUTE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (SIAP)

Introduction to energy statistics and energy accounts(e-Learning course)
30 August -1 October 2021
GuidelineI.

OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE

Energy is an important input in the production of goods, including food, and is used byhouseholds for transportation and heating. Given its importance to wellbeing, managing
energy resources and energy supply and use are areas of priority in many countries. In orderto support the development and implementation of energy related policies for improved
wellbeing, it is helpful to have integrated information and data on energy.
This course will focus on energy statistics and accounts, as well as some important energy
aggregates and indicators (including SDGs). The energy accounts are based on the System
for Environmental-Economic Accounting-Energy (SEEA-Energy) which is a multi-purpose
conceptual framework for organizing energy-related statistics. It supports analysis of the roleof energy within the economy, the state of energy inputs and various energy-relatedtransactions of environmental interest. It is fully consistent with the SEEA Central
Framework and follow a similar accounting structure to the System of National Accounts(SNA). By doing so, the SEEA-Energy allows us to develop indicators and conduct analysis
on the economy-environment nexus, with a focus on energy.
During the course, an excel based tool on the compilation of the energy accounts will beintroduced. Depending on resource availability, countries interested in using the tool tocompile energy accounts will be provided with additional in-kind support after thecompletion of the course.
II.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

The target audience are officials in national statistical offices, line ministries (especially ministries ofenergy, natural resources and environment) and other institutions who are working on energy related
issues. The course can also be useful to a wider audience who is interested to learn more about energy
information. Please note that UN SIAP conducted the same course in 2020; participants from the2020 course are welcomed to join this course as a review of the topic.
III.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course, participants will be expected to:1•••IV.

learn the basic concepts, definitions and classifications used in energy statistics andaccounts
understand the conceptual framework used for energy accounts
understand how energy data contributes to developing sustainable energy policies

COURSE DESIGN AND CONTENT

Each module consists of slides with explanations. After all modules have been completed, participants
will be required to complete a final test that will cover all modules. The modules are expected to takea maximum of 6 hours to complete. Participants are also expected to attend two webinars. Thewebinars will provide an overview of the course topics and allow for participants to ask questions.
Furthermore, participants are encouraged to actively participate in the online forum of the course.
Topics for discussion will be posted on a regular basis and participants are invited to share theirviews/comments/questions.
OutlineModuleCoverage

1. Introduction to the SEEA
Central Framework andSEEA-Energy

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How are SEEA-Energy and other information systems
related?
Types of information in SEEA-Energy
Advantages and policy relevance of SEEA-Energy
Main types of accounts in SEEA-EnergyHow can we build on existing energy information?
How are various accounts related?
Flexibility in implementation

2. Definitions and accountingstructure•••
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The scope of SEEA-Energy
Residence vs. territory principle
Production, consumption and accumulation
Types of physical flows related to energy
Transformation of energy
Classification of industries, products and use
Physical and monetary units
Energy assets
Other energy-related stocks and flows
Main types of SEEA-Energy accounts and tables

3. Physical supply and use•••••

Physical flow accounts for energyStructure of the PSUT for energy
Flows of natural inputs
Flows within the economy
Flows to the environment2•

Following the flows: Supply equals use

4. Asset accounting••
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Physical assets in SEEA and SNA
Scope of the physical asset accounts
Classes of viability
Categorization of quantity and quality
Quantification of stocks of energy resources
Inventories of energy products
Valuation and the NPV approach

5. Basic statistics and energybalances

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Energy statistics, energy accounts and energy balances
From basic energy statistics to energy balances
Structure of energy balances
From energy balances to energy accounts
Bridge tables linking energy balances and energy
accounts
Differences in terminology
Comparison of energy statistics, balances and accounts

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Policy demands and indicators
Legal framework
Institutional Arrangements
First steps toward implementation
The Generic Statistical Business Process Model
Implementation of PSUT
Implementation of asset accounts
Dissemination and supporting materials

6. Practical guidance

V.

EVALUATION

Participants must receive a 70% or higher in the test at the end of this course.
Participants will be given 60 minutes to complete the test. They may take the exam up to three times
and retain their best score. Participants may not work together on the test. The course facilitator
reserves the right to deny course certificates to participants suspected of cheating on the test. The
supervisor is expected to ensure that the test of the course is taken in his/her presence.
VI.

FOLLOW-UP PHASE

Following the completion of the training and depending on resource availability, in-kind support will
be made available to countries interested in compiling energy statistics, accounts and indicators. Overa period of 3 weeks, weekly national consultations will be held to discuss concrete, country specificissues around compilation and data sources. National staff is expected to prepare relevant inputs fordiscussion during the national consultations. Participation of stakeholders from relevant line3

ministries and institutions (such as Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Environment) in the courseand national consultations is highly encouraged. Further details on the follow-up phase will beprovided during the course.

VII.

SOURCE MATERIAL

This course draws upon various sources, including international statistical standards and case studies
from national statistical offices.

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