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Welcome to the website of the Oslo group on energy statistics



Background

The United Nations Statistical Commission, at its 36th session in March 2005, approved the establishment of two complementary working groups to carry out the revision and further development of relevant international standards on energy statistics: The Oslo group on energy statistics, and the Intersecretariat Working Group on Energy Statistics.


Mandate of the Oslo group

The Oslo group on energy statistics is tasked 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.

In particular, its mandate includes the following actions:

  • Identify users' needs
  • Define scope of official energy statistics
  • Identify and collect national and international best practices
  • Review and contribute to the updating of UNSD handbooks and manuals on energy statistics
  • Identify gaps in coverage (e.g. fuel types, flows) and to develop methodology to cover gaps
  • 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
  • Recommend a core set of tables as minimum requirement at national and international level to satisfy major user needs

Membership

The Oslo group on energy statistics consists of representatives from more than 30 countries plus several international agencies. In addition, several groups and institutions collaborate with the Oslo group in the development of international standards on energy statistics.

Outputs

The main output of the Oslo group to date has been the development of the International Recommendations for Energy Statistics (IRES). The IRES was adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its forty-second session in February 2011.

The group has completed its work on the Energy Statistics Compilers Manual (ESCM). A final draft has been circulated to Oslo Group members in April 2016, and should be published soon.