Methodology
The satellite accounts on atmospheric emissions
Index
1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Theoretical conceptual method
4. Development of the model
5. Environmental indicators
1 Introduction
The Sixth European Community Action Programme on the Environment
"Environment 2010: the future is in our hands" establishes as one of its objectives
to try and solve the problem of climate change. There is a general opinion when
affirming that a modification of land climate is occurring as a consequence of the high
concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The political and economic action on atmospheric emissions from the VI
Programme is basically directed at ratifying and applying the agreements registered in
the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gases in the 2008-2012 period by 8 per cent
with respect to 1990 levels. Therefore, we are dealing with establishing these
concentrations at a level that does not provoke substantial or natural variations in the
land climate via sectorial policies that promote changes in the production processes or
in the alternative use of less contaminant energy sources.
Achieving this goal means having reliable statistical information available that
measures the concentration of contaminant substances in the atmosphere and
determines the economic sectors that are most influencing these emissions. A
theoretical useful application model is that of the satellite accounts on atmospheric
emissions; these accounts may be defined as a method of orderly presenting
economic information with data on emissions of contaminant substances into the
atmosphere.
2 Objectives
The main objective of this project is to present in this way the maximum number
of statistical tables that constitute the satellite accounts on atmospheric emissions. This
first set of tables constitutes the first phase in the theoretical development of the
accounts. In subsequent phases, other goals will be pursued that will be achieved as
the transposition bridge tables are incorporated into some economic sectors, the
natural movements and a set of indicators relative to the main contaminant
substances emitted into the atmosphere.
3 Theoretical conceptual model
3.1 Introduction
The NAMEA is the English acronym of the National Accounts Matrix (NAM) of
Environmental Accounts (EA). It is a model in which the economic statistical and
environmental data are consistently organised and formulated.
The NAMEA model consists of extending a simplified matrix to present the
national accounts (NAM) with rows and columns where environmental information
relative to accountable economic transactions in the national accounts system is
presented. The objective is to describe the pressure exerted by the development of
economic activities on the environment and the responses to reduce or eliminate such
pressure.
The nucleus of the system is a set of matrices that contain national accounts
data (NAM) related to the data supplied by environmental accounts (EA). The
environmental accounts are statistical data matrices relative to some environmental
aspects, valued in monetary terms and/or in physical units; the only requirement
demanded in the elaboration of accounts is that the information bears in mind the
classification definitions and regulations established in the economic statistics.
Currently data that are included in the NAMEA models are atmospheric
emissions, waste water and waste. The energy balances that production and the use of
energy shows may also be included in the model as well as the volumes of forests and
subsoil assets. Economic data on environmental protection expense and taxes are
presented separately within the economic matrices.
3.3 The NAMEA model applied to the air
The NAMEA model applied to air consists of presenting in a coherent and
ordered way, economic data with those of contaminant substances generated in the
economic system, emitted into the atmosphere, both types classified by economic
sectors. This involves relating movements on atmospheric emissions and economic
system movements. Those other movements that occur between the economy and the
natural environment are not considered in this model and its measurement will be the
object of study in a second phase (enlargement of the model) that will make possible a
more complete analysis that is purely economic.
The NAMEA model on atmospheric emissions may be represented with the
following schema:
Schema of NAMEA model
Chart A
Chart B
Economic transactions
Contaminant
substances emitted by
households and the
productive system
Contaminant substances
classified by economic
activity
3.4 General structure of the charts
The structure of the tables making up the model is detailed below. Table A
consists of a simplified matrix of national accounts by economic activities. The
concepts and definitions, accountable regulations and ways of registering economic
movements are those that feature in the ESA-95 National Accounts System.
The main economic transactions considered in the model are the following:
Production at base prices.
Intermediate Consumption
Value added to basic prices.
Total employment. Jobs equivalent to full time
Salaried employment. Jobs equivalent to full time.
Household final consumption expense (some concepts)
The economic transactions are broken down according to the following
classification of economic activities.
Section
A
B
C
Division
01
02
05
10
11
12
13
14
D
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Economic activities
Agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry
Agriculture, livestock, hunting and related service activities
Forestry, logging and related service activities
Fishing
Extractive industries
Extraction and agglomeration of anthracite, coke, lignite and peat.
Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas; service activities related to oil
and gas extraction, excluding surveying activities
Extraction of Uranium and Thorium Ores
Extraction of Metallic Ores
Extraction of non-metallic and non-energetic ores.
Manufacturing industry
Food and beverages products industry
Tobacco industry
Textile industry
Clothing and furs industry
Preparation, tanning and finishing of leather; manufacture of leather travel
goods, saddlery, harness-making and footwear
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture;
manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials
Paper Industry
Publishing, graphic arts and reproduction of recorded supports
Manufacture of coke, refinement of petroleum and treatment of nuclear fuels
Chemical Industry
Manufacture of rubber and plastic products
Manufacture of other non-metallic ore products
Metallurgy
Manufacture of metal products, except machinery and equipment
Construction of Machinery and Mechanical Equipment Industry
Manufacture of machinery and computers
Manufacture of electrical machinery and material
Manufacture of electronic material; manufacture of radio, television and
communication equipment and apparatus
Manufacture of medical, precision and optical instruments, watches and clocks
Manufacture of motor vehicles and trailers
Manufacture of other transport equipment
Manufacture of Furniture; other manufacturing industries
Recycling
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
40-41
40
41
45
50-52
55
60-64
60
60.1
60.2
60.3
61
62
63
64
65-67
70-74
75
80
85
90-93
90
91
92
93
95
99
Supply of electricity, gas and water
Production and distribution of electrical energy, gas and water
Collection, Treatment and Distribution of Water
Construction
Retail and wholesale trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and
household articles
Accommodation
Transport, storage and communications
Land transport; transport via pipelines
Railway Transport
Other land transport
Transport via pipelines
Maritime, cabotage and in-land waterway transport
Air and space transport
Supporting and auxiliary transport activities; activities of travel agencies
Post and communications
Financial intermediation
Real estate and rental activities; corporate services
Public administration, defence and social security
Education
Health and veterinary activities, corporate services
Other community, social and personal service activities
Public Sewage Activities
Associated activities
Recreational, cultural and sporting activities
Various personal services activities
Households which employ household personnel
Extraterritorial institutions
Table B presents the environmental aspects related to the economic activities
considered in table A. The main contaminant substances considered are those that
feature in the following table:
Effects
Greenhouse effect
Acid rain
Deterioration of the ozone layer
Photochemical contamination
Contaminant substances
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CO Carbon monoxide
CH4 Methane
N2O Nitrogen monoxide
HFC Hydrogenfluorocarbon composites
PFC Polyfluorocarbon composites
SF6 Sulphur hexaflouride
SOx Sulphur oxides
NONx Nitrogen oxides
NH3 Ammonia
HFC Hydrogenfluorocarbon composites
PFC Polyfluorocarbon composites
SF6 Sulphur hexaflouride
NONx Nitrogen oxides
NMVOC Volatile organic composites (excluding
methane)
A detailed description of the tables that appear in the model is shown below.
Economic tables
The economic tables present the main economic operations in the national
accounts model via the origin and destination tables in which the consumption of
households on those goods and service that contribute to the emission of contaminant
substances into the atmosphere (transport, heating and others) also features.
Emissions tables classified according to their origin
Emissions from households
Emissions of resident producers.
In the NAMEA the emissions coming from the activity carried out by resident
units outside the country must be included in the corresponding activity branches
according to the definitions and practical regulations of the national accounts. This in
general often occurs in maritime, air and land transport. However, the emissions of
non-residents in the national economic territory must be associated with this same
criteria, exclusion.
Cross border emissions coming from the rest of the world
These only refer to cross border movements via the movement of atmospheric
air masses.
The total emissions according to their origin expresses the total emissions that
are generated by resident units in the national economic territory and are calculated by
adding cross border atmospheric emissions coming from the rest of the world to
household emissions and national producers.
Emissions tables classified according to their destination
Carbon absorption
It should not be deduced directly from the emissions classified by NAMEA
economic activities. However, it should be registered according the Kyoto agreement
on the evaluation of the greenhouse effect (growth of forestry bio mass for forests
established since 1990).
Rest of the world cross border emissions.
Only cross border movements coming from the movement of atmospheric air
masses to the rest of the world are considered.
The total emissions according to their destination expresses the sum of the
emissions absorbed by nature CO2, cross border emissions and emissions that
contribute to evaluating environmental pressure (greenhouse effect, acid rain…)
4. Development of the model
4.1 National economic activities
The NAMEA model measures the interrelation between the economy and the
environment. Consequently the economic and environmental statistical data of the
model must be based on similar accounting definitions and regulations. The economic
data are based on the model of national accounts and environmental data. In this case
atmospheric emissions, must be based on procedures similar to economic data with
the object of being able to correctly integrate both sets of statistical tables.
The national accounts system analysis unit is the economic activity unit resident
in the country. The economic activity units are grouped into activity branches and the
nomenclature used is the NACE-Rev1.
The method used to measure atmospheric emissions is the same as that used
in the national accounts system. The analysis unit is the economic activity unit resident
in national economic territory and therefore is only necessary to quantify the emissions
generated by these units in the national economic territory. This means that those
emissions generated by non-resident economic units (for example, tourism) in the
national economic territory must not be included and that emissions generated by
resident units outside the country (including tourism of Spanish residents and Spanish
transport abroad) in those economic activity branches that have generated production
of these activities or in the household consumption must be included.
4.2 Differences between the NAMEA and the CORINAIR
The NAMEA being a model that links emissions to the economic activities that
cause it, data on atmospheric emissions have to be comparable with the economic
data registered in the national accounts. Consequently, the register of data from
atmospheric emissions with identical accounting regulations and classifications as
those used in the register of economic operations.
CORINAIR estimates the atmospheric emissions via combustion processes.
Therefore a priori their assignation to economic activity branches from the NACE-Rev1
classification may be complicated. Some of the SNAP categories from CORINAIR
however may be easily classified into the NACERev1 branches. Other categories
however, present classification problems. The methods used to estimate emissions in
CORINAIR vary from one process to another using different types of variables or
indicators according to the information available. The energy balances may help to
make this transposition on some occasions, however on others indicators related to the
quantity of contaminated substance that we are trying to measure as well as the
number of vehicles, the number of employees, production or a combination of these
are used. Those that are used in the calculation method.
Emissions not related to energy use but with production processes may also be
accounted for in CORINAIR. In general, the CORINAIR data may be a good source of
information for these emission processes except in the emission of solvents.
CORINAIR includes new classes of contaminants: greenhouse effect gases,
acidification gases, gases responsible for photochemical contamination and black
smoke and gases that damage the ozone layer and which also contribute to the
greenhouse effect: chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrogenfluorocarbons (HFC) and
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). It also includes heavy metals such as arsenic (As), mercury
(Hg), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), selenium (Se), copper (Cu)
and nickel (Ni).
Consequently, this calculation method substantially modifies data on NAMEA
model atmospheric emissions. In effect, the IPCC and CORINAIR statistics only
include a restricted part of the emissions associated with transport services.
Emissions coming from the transport to foreign destinations and/or international
areas have to be accounted for in the NAMEA, it being necessary to establish
agreements to assign emissions from international territories to countries. In the
NAMEA these emissions have to be assigned to the economic activities that cause the
emission. In this way, the emissions from an air company must be assigned to this air
company and not only include those emitted in their economic territory as in the IPCC.
Another example could be shipping companies.
Another important question to consider in the NAMEA that does not influence
the total contaminant substances emitted but in the way distribution is carried out
between households or productive branches is that the assignation of emissions
associated with a productive activity corresponding to activities secondary or auxiliary
to the main activity must be assigned to the activity branch corresponding to the main
activity; in this way, the emissions coming from personal transport and emissions due
to combustion processes have to be assigned to the economic activity branches of the
main activity that is carrying out this service.
4.3 Assignation of atmospheric emissions by economic activity branches .
Independent from the use and assignation of emissions by economic activity
branch according to the NACE-Rev1 classification, there are problems in certain
activity branches when assigning atmospheric emissions according to the principles
established by the national accounts.
A revision of the sectors that present the most problems in their treatment can
be found below as well as the commitments and formulas that have been agreed within
European Union countries.
Electricity
Three aspects are necessary to mention to assign the effect of emissions from
this productive sector. First, the type and quantity of emissions is determined according
to the type of primary energy used. For example, carbon, petroleum, natural gas,
nuclear or hydraulic energy.
Secondly, emissions coming from electrical production may vary annually
depending on international electricity commerce existing in neighbouring countries.
These data have to be consistent with the economic data of national accounts.
Emissions coming from this sector must be assigned to the activity branch of the
productive unit and not to the user branch.
Thirdly, emissions coming from personal electricity production and considered
as a secondary activity have to be assigned to the economic activity branch of the main
activity, just as with their economic data. Emissions that come from personal electricity
production for personal use and considered as an auxiliary activity have to be assigned
to the activity branch that produces it with the objective of creating the conditions to
relate emissions with the economic data from national accounts.
Personal transport
National accounts separately identify land, sea, air transport and the activities
annexed to transport. The quantity of contaminant substances emitted by these
economic sectors must be coherent with the economic data from the economic
accounts and only emissions associated with these types of transport must be
considered.
The transport carried out for personal use is classified in the economic activity
branches of the main activity that produces it as an auxiliary activity and the emissions
that are emitted are those corresponding to the combustion of energy products used by
the different means of transport to transport goods. Emissions associated with the
private car use is classified as final household consumption.
Greenhouse emissions
Greenhouse emissions are mainly the following CO2 emission, CH4 and CFC's.
Generally these emissions may be located by municipality because the town councils
are the ones who manage their treatment. These emissions are assigned to the
economic activity branch of the public health NACE-Rev1 90 to be coherent with the
main principles of the NAMEA and the national accounts.
Another way of adjudicating these emissions is assigning them to activity
branches or to households as the economic units, companies and households being
those that have generated the waste that such emissions produce. However, this is an
incorrect way of acting within the general framework of the NAMEA.
Household emissions
Emissions from households is divided into emissions from the consumption of
personal transport services, heating and others.
Emissions from electricity spending by households is not located in the
households as specified previously. In some cases, the annual variations of emissions
may be explained by changes in temperature as these are closely linked to the use of
fossil fuels for heating. Variables registered in the NAMEA would be adjusted to show
the tendency of meteorological components in the consumption of energy.
4.4 Relation between non-economic activities and atmospheric emissions
This model only includes emissions from economic activities. Emissions coming
from non-economic agents (nature) are not included in the detailed tables. Therefore,
the absorption of substances by nature are not accounted for as well as the storage of
carbon which should be deducted from the forestry CO2 emissions. This framework is
flexible and the data from cross border emissions or the absorption of CO2 are included
in some of the model tables where the movements of substances according to their
origin and destination to obtain a more complete description.
5. Environmental indicators
One of the ways to analyse the information is to provide a battery of indicators that
synthetically express the environmental situation of the atmosphere. There are
parameters that provide information and/or tendencies on the environmental conditions
related to air quality. Their significance goes beyond the results of the statistic, trying to
supply information that facilitates measuring the effects that human activity have on the
environment or the effectiveness of environmental policies.
A table with the indicators selected is presented below. The importance of the
indicators comes from the need to supply political officials and society in general with a
tool by means of which information is presented in a concise and representative
manner and which can be understood and used easily.
Contributions to environmental aspects:
Greenhouse effect: This represents the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted into the
atmosphere, in equivalent units, corresponding to the greenhouse gases. a brief
description of how it is calculated is given below.
When the “global warming potential“ was calculated the measurements in equivalent
tonnes of CO2 used were defined in the International Panel on Climate Change in
1995. In the NAMEA pilot studies several countries have evaluated the GWP100 index
(GWP100 by tonne of gas emitted in the reference year) with CO2, N2O and CH4.
Halogen gases are also included.
The following table is used to calculate greenhouse effect indices.
Earth warming gas
GWP Factors100
CO2
1
N2 O
310
CH4
21
CFC
3400-1300
HCFC
140-1800
PFC
4500-6200
SF6
23900
Acid rain: this represents the contribution of emissions to the acidification effect. There
is a standard index although it is not unique to this subject.
The conversion in equivalent tonnes of SO2 of the emitted gases that contribute to the
acid rain effect has been carried out based on the following table.
Acid rain
PEA Factor
Acidification factors
used in UK and Ireland
SO2
1/32
1
NO x
1/46
0,6957
NH3
1/17
1,8824
Photochemical pollution: A standard index is available to synthesise the COVNM and
CO emissions. This effect has been considered in this work.
Another type of indicator that synthetically expresses the information and whose
meaning and trend are easiest to interpret are those that represent the magnitudes in
per capita terms, of employment or based on the value of production or the added
value generated as a result of its productive activity. Moreover, they are indicators that
supply indices on the trends on the state and level of the air quality. In this sense the
following indicators have been selected:
Quantity of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide per capita.
Quantity of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide by GDP (constant prices).
Quantity of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide by employment.
Percentage with respect to the quantity of carbon and sulphur dioxide emitted
by economic sectors.
Another of the important questions to establish in this type of indicator would be
to analyse the relation existing between the type of contaminant substance emitted and
the state of health of the population. The cause of certain illnesses, diseases of the
respiratory tract, allergies, skin cancers is related to the state and quality of the air that
is inspired. Consequently, it is necessary to look for indicators that relate both pieces of
information with the objective of getting to know if the reduction of emissions of some
contaminant substances reduces the number of diseases diagnosed. These types of
indicator are not the object of the present study.