1. Definition of the Environmental System
Air Emission Accounts
Eva Milota
Directorate Spatial Statistics
Vienna
26-27 June 2014
Definition of the Environmental System
This presentation shall help us to focus even more sharply on the emissions that are to be taken into account within AEA and those that are not to be taken. Only those emisiions are conidered, that are emitted to the environment. For example methane from a landfill-site that is used in a biogas plant is not to be considered for AEA, but the CO2 arising from the methan combustion. If methan is directly emitted to the atmosphere it has to be taken into account.

2. Definition of the Environmental System
Air emissions – caused within the economic system – are emitted to the environmental system. Therefore it is important to have a clear definition of the environmental system and of the system boundary between the economic and the environmental system.
According to the AEA manual the environment
… „includes all natural assets and flows of the natural environment not belonging to the economic system. The environment is defined as the naturally produced physical surroundings on which humanity is entirely dependent in all its activities.“
Emissions from economic processes or arising from the consumption side are taken into account when they are emitted to the environment. Emission from Nature are excluded from AEA. Emissions, that are continually processed, stay within the economic process and therefor not to be taken into account.

3. Definition of the Environmental System
The environmental system has three basic functions:
Resource function, i.e. provision of renewable and non renewable resources
Service function, i.e. provision of environmental or ecosystem services like provision of clean drinking water, decomposition of wastes
Sink function, i.e. in Air Emission Accounts, the atmosphere is a sink or destination of residual flows of air pollutants and greenhouse gases stemming from production and consumption activities
Relevant for AEA is the third basic funtion – the sink function.

4. Definition of the Environmental System
National environment vs. Rest of the World environment Each national economy has its own national environment which is associated with the national (or economic) territory. Areas covered by open oceans outside exclusive economic zones and the airspace outside national territories belong to the environmental system but are not part of any country‘s national environment (global commons). The Rest of the World environment consists therefore of the national environments of all other countries as well as the open oceans and the airspace outside national territories.
Hier wird die Unterscheidung in nationale und Rest-der-Welt-Umwelt beschrieben. Diese Unterscheidung ist nur für die Transportemissionen relevant, wenn Inländer im Ausland Emissionen verursachen und umgekehrt. Diese müssen in den Brückentabellen entsprechend berücksichtigt werden, um von den inländischen Emissionen gemäß AEA auf die Emissionen gemäß internationaler Berichtspflichten (UNFCCC, UNECE-CLRTAP) zu kommen.
The distinction between National environment vs. Rest of the World environment is relevant when residents cause emissions in foreign countries and vice versa. Those emissions has to be considered in the bridge tables from EAE to UNFCCC or UNECE-CLRTAP emissions.

5. Definition of the Environmental System
Net flows vs. gross flows “Air emissions” are all physical flows of gaseous or particulate materials from the economic system (production or consumption processes) to the (national and Rest of the World) atmosphere as part of the environment (net flows).
In comparison gross flows include also those emissions that do not cross the boundary from the economic system to the environment.
Example: CH4 from controlled landfills which is used for energy production. But the resulting CO2 emissions have to be taken into account in Air Emissions Accounts.
Remember the example with methan.

6. Definition of the Environmental System
Border cases are e.g.:
Emissions (and uptake) from cultivated plants and forests
Emissions from humans and cultivated animals
Emissions from agricultural soils (incl. sludge/manure spreading)
Emissions from controlled landfills
Flaring and venting
Some border cases.

7. Definition of the Environmental System
Border cases are e.g.: (cont.)
Emissions (and uptake) from cultivated plants and forests
According to National Accounts cultivated plants are the result of production processes, therefore their emissions have to be taken into account. “Natural” emissions from cultivated forests and the absorption of gaseous substances by cultivated forests are excluded due to difficulties in quantifying these flows.
Emissions from humans and cultivated animals
Humans and cultivated animals emit CO2. In general these emissions should be recorded as both are part of the economic system and CO2 crosses the system boundary but there is a lack of data (exception is CH4 from enteric fermentation).
Auch wenn in einem Land Daten vorhanden wären, würde ich bei entsprechender Nachfrage von einem Kursteilnehmer sagen, dass diese Daten im Fragebogen nicht berücksichtigt werden sollten, da sonst die europaweite Vergleichbarkeit nicht gegeben wäre.

8. Definition of the Environmental System
Border cases are e.g.: (cont.)
Emissions from agricultural soils (incl. sludge/manure spreading)
Emissions resulting from soil cultivation and harvest, fertiliser and manure application and animal excreta have to be taken into account, if data are available.
Emissions from controlled landfills
Emissions of CH4 have to be recorded (exception: if used for energy production).
These three border cases should be taken into account if data are available, as those emissions arise from economic processes.
Flaring and venting
Emissions are caused in oil refineries, chemical industry and oil extraction and have to be taken into account.