The International Standards of Energy Statistics—IRES and Its Enlightenment

By sorting out the background, purposes, principles and target audiences of IRES, this paper summarizes the main contents and characteristics of IRES. The study shows that:IRES is composed in accordance with "Basic Concepts-Core Contents- Implementation Safeguards," which clarifies and unifies the related energy statistics concepts and terminologies and covers the shortage of the existing international standards of energy statistics. It describes the preparation of the matrix energy balance from the three aspects of energy supply, conversion and use and increases data quality and sample applications that are not involved in the existing energy statistical guidelines. Meanwhile, IRES also introduces the importance of energy data quality assessment and dimensions to get the adoption of practical examples to provide guidance for national energy statistics. At the same time, IRES has the characteristics of authority, integrity and international comparability, and its energy statistical methods are specific, flexible and practical. Therefore, China should follow the requirements of IRES to innovate on its index system and improve the scientificity and systematicness of the existing methods and internationalize the energy statistics category.