Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

Emissions data

There is variability in accuracy for the emissions to air for different industries and for types of air emissions. The uncertainty reflects, inter alia, the uncertainty about the allocation of energy by industries, given that the starting point for calculations of emissions is the energy accounts (cf. the documentation of statistics for the Danish energy accounts). Add to this variability in the technical emission factors for the various industries as well as a substantial variability related to the non-energy related emissions.

Data on material flows

Information concerning the material flows in the form of the weights of some different material types areas based on conversion factors from other units to kilogram's. For these types of materials some extra uncertainty is introduced by the conversion. Therefore, the information on the weights of materials is considered to be less accurate.

The allocation of environment related taxes depends to some extent on estimations and assumptions, and some kind of uncertainty is linked with the allocation especially at the most detailed 117 industry level.

Sampling error

Not relevant for these statistics.

Non-sampling error

There have not been undertaken any measurements of other uncertainties for this statistics.

Quality management

Statistics Denmark follows the recommendations on organisation and management of quality given in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and the implementation guidelines given in the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF). A Working Group on Quality and a central quality assurance function have been established to continuously carry through control of products and processes.

Quality assurance

Statistics Denmark follows the principles in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and uses the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF) for the implementation of the principles. This involves continuous decentralized and central control of products and processes based on documentation following international standards. The central quality assurance function reports to the Working Group on Quality. Reports include suggestions for improvement that are assessed, decided and subsequently implemented.

Quality assessment

No measurements of quality has been done, however the quality of the statistics is seen as best possible, given the resources available for the compilation of accounts. Accounts have the scope and the degree of detail that is on the same level as other countries, such as Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. Accounts are compiled in accordance with recommendations and quality standards provided by UN and Eurostat.

Data revision - policy

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.

Data revision practice

The final environmental accounts were available about three years after the reference year. Provisional environmental accounts were published about one or two years from the reference year.