“Unified standard” has become the key word for the accelerated improvement of the carbon emission statistical accounting system
2022-08-22 11:29:14Source: People’s Daily Overseas Edition
Statistical accounting of carbon emissions is an important basis for achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. A few days ago, the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Bureau of Statistics, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced the “Implementation Plan on Accelerating the Establishment of a Unified and Standardized Carbon Emission Statistical Accounting System” (referred to as the “Plan”) to make a comprehensive deployment of related work. The “Plan” proposes that by 2025, the unified and standardized carbon emission statistics and accounting system will be further improved, the data quality will be improved in an all-round way, and comprehensive, scientific and reliable data support will be provided for the carbon neutralization work.
“Uniform norm” as a keyword
Statistical accounting of carbon emissions is a complex and huge systematic project involving multiple levels, multiple subjects, and multiple dimensions. Different objects and different uses have different carbon emission accounting boundaries and methods.
Zhang Yingjian, an expert from China International Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd. believes that with the significant increase in the demand for carbon emission accounting data in various regions, fields and industries, the current domestic carbon emission accounting system data update is slow, accounting calibers are different, and basic emission factors are lagging behind. A series of problems also began to emerge.
The relevant person in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission stated that in order to ensure that the statistical accounting of carbon emissions always serves the overall situation of the “dual carbon” work, the “Plan” clearly puts forward three requirements:
Clear unity of authority and responsibilities of departments. The “Plan” proposes to strengthen the unified leadership of the carbon peak carbon neutral work leading group, straighten out the work mechanism, optimize the work process, and form a work pattern in which relevant departments perform their duties and work together efficiently.
The key tasks are connected in an orderly manner. The “Plan” insists on starting from reality, and establishes a unified work requirement and mechanism framework around the four key tasks of national and provincial-level regions, industrial enterprises, carbon emission statistics and accounting of key products, and national greenhouse gas inventory.
The specifications of important parameters are consistent. Emission factor is an important parameter in the statistical accounting of carbon emissions. The “Plan” proposes to establish a national greenhouse gas inventory emission factor database, and to normalize and standardize it.
“We will work with relevant departments to introduce and implement a series of regional, industry, enterprise, and product carbon emission statistical accounting methods and standards in the order of urgent needs first, and easy ones followed by difficult ones, and accelerate the establishment of a unified and standardized carbon emission statistical accounting system.” The official said.
Identify four key tasks
How to build a carbon emission statistical accounting system suitable for China’s national conditions and meet the needs of “dual carbon” work from the rich and complex accounting system? The Plan focuses on four tasks:
First, establish a national and local carbon emission statistical accounting system. The National Bureau of Statistics shall uniformly formulate the national and provincial carbon emission statistical accounting methods, clarify the statistical responsibilities of relevant departments and localities for energy activities, industrial production processes, emission factors, power input and output and other related basic data, and organize national and provincial statistics. Accounting for the total annual carbon emissions of high-level regions.
The second is to improve the carbon emission accounting mechanism of industrial enterprises. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the competent industry authorities will organize and revise carbon emission accounting methods and relevant national standards for key industries such as electric power, steel, nonferrous metals, building materials, petrochemicals, chemicals, and construction, and accelerate the establishment of industries with comprehensive coverage and scientific algorithms. Carbon Emissions Accounting Methodology System.
The third is to establish and improve the carbon emission accounting method for key products. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with industry authorities, shall research and formulate the carbon emission accounting methods for raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products of key industry products.
Fourth, improve the national greenhouse gas inventory compilation mechanism. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with relevant departments, organizes data collection, report writing and international review, and compiles a national greenhouse gas inventory in accordance with the implementation requirements.
“The carbon emission statistical accounting work at different levels and dimensions involves different accounting objects, different accounting boundaries, different work objectives, different data sources, different management departments, and different work foundations. The higher the accuracy of accounting data, the more The greater the workload of content and data, the lower the availability of data and the higher the cost, so it is necessary to balance the relationship between scientificity and operability.” said Ren Xianguang, director of the National Energy Conservation Center.
Comprehensively promote green development
Establishing a scientific accounting method and systematically grasping the overall situation of carbon emissions will provide solid data support and basic guarantee for doing a well-planned and orderly “dual-carbon” work and promoting a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.
According to scholars such as Su Mingshan, deputy director of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy Research and International Cooperation, China has initially established a working system and technical method system for the compilation of a national greenhouse gas inventory in order to do a good job in addressing climate change compliance. In recent years, China has submitted several national compliance reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the quality of the inventory has been recognized by international experts. Under the new situation, the domestic “dual carbon” target, other efforts to address climate change, and the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement, the accuracy, timeliness, consistency, comparability and transparency of carbon emissions statistical accounting data, etc. higher demand.
In response to the new requirements, the “Plan” makes clear arrangements. For example, in the application of advanced technologies, the “Plan” proposes to accelerate the application of modern information technologies such as 5G, big data, cloud computing, and blockchain; to explore the application of monitoring technologies such as satellite remote sensing high-precision continuous measurement technology. For another example, in carrying out methodological research, the “Plan” proposes to promote accounting research in the fields of non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture, storage and utilization, and carbon sinks; strengthen international exchanges in the field of carbon emission accounting, and actively participate in international carbon emissions. Standard setting.
Zhang Yingjian believes, “my country has always attached importance to fulfilling international commitments, and will continue to promote the compilation of national greenhouse gas inventories in accordance with the requirements of international climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement, and establish a normalized management and regular update mechanism. The “Plan” further clarifies this The functional departments, work requirements and safeguard measures of the work are conducive to promoting the compilation of my country’s greenhouse gas inventory to a new level.”
Wang Junling