Association of Issuing Bodies AIB CADv2024
Last updated
Last updated
Full name
Association of Issuing Bodies - European Production and Residual Mixes
Publisher
Association of Issuing Bodies
Description
Electricity Emission Factor set published by the Association of Issuing Bodies where the grid mix as well as the residual grid mix (for untracked consumption) is calculated.
Version nr.
CADv2024
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As of 2024, AIB is not (yet) publishing life cycle stage information. In order to have all electricity databases reflect upstream and transmission and distribution-emissions in a comparable way, some assumptions were made to approximate the generation and TnD emissions for the AIB dataset.
In both cases we used a “loss factor” approach was used (See ). This is a fixed percentage to the power generation emission factor that approximates the value for these other stages.
For Transmission and Distribution, this is quite common (grid loss factor), for fuel extraction emission the logic goes that a more fossil fuel-heavy electricity production process also usually has a more fossil fuel-heavy upstream life stage.
The loss factors used are
Transmission and distribution
10%
Generation
30%
These were applied uniformly across all countries and years in the dataset.
Justification
- For Transmissions and distribution, we compared the ratio of the IEA TnD factors with the electricity production emissions for all countries in the AIB dataset. 10% is the mean + 1 Standard Deviation (conservative estimate)
- For Generation emissions, we also compared the ratio of the IEA life cycle emission factors with the electricity production emissions for all countries in the AIB dataset. 30% is the mean + 1 Standard Deviation. (conservative estimate)
Though these factors are rounded numbers, we believe they are the best possible estimate for the given information in the source. Additionally, seen that direct comparison with the IEA published data results that these are in the range of the (IEA mean + 1 Standard Deviation), we think this estimate is on the prudent side, and likely to be an over-estimate than an underestimate.
AIB has an annual publishing cycle, where the factors are published for Y-1. The 2024 publication (June 2024) therefore is called 2023 and includes the emission factors for 2023 (Y-1) for all countries. This process is repeated annually.
This CADv2024 update in Carbon+Alt+Delete therefore replaces the values with mean reporting dates after 01/01/2023 to these AIB 2023 values, replacing the previous extrapolation from AIB 2022.
With this change comes variability, accentuated by the complicated nature of the residual mix calculations, and by the fact that global energy markets have been unpredictable in the past couple of years.
The share of renewable energy in the residual mix decreased by over 10pp in 5 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway. In addition, the decrease was 4-7pp in Finland, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Slovakia (7 countries).
On the contrary, the renewable share increased notably in the residual mixes of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, and Sweden.
Note that most of these changes are a regression to the mean; often correcting a big spike in residual emissions in 2022 compared to the baseline.
See the table below for some highlighted residual mix factors that are undergoing a big adjustment, hand-picked for relevance.
Belgium
2023, 2024
+16%
France
2023, 2024
-68%
Germany
2023, 2024
-48%
Ireland
2023, 2024
+40%
Italy
2023, 2024
+30%
Slovakia
2023, 2024
+90%
United Kingdom
2023, 2024
-12%
Emission factors for the country average mix (supplier mix) and location-based factors (production mix) are typically adjusted similarly, but with smaller magnitudes.
AIB electricity keyword details have changed for to improve clarity and transparency
Green has been renamed to Green electricity contract
Country average has been renamed to Country average mix
Grey has been renamed Residual mix (no green electricity contract), as to remove any confusion about the interpretation of the word "Grey". This new phrasing also reflects the source naming more accurately. Additionally, this renaming stresses that this option should be used for all cases where a green contract is not explicitly present, in order to avoid double-counting of market-based emissions.
Emission factors for 2022 are now read out more accurately with more significant digits.
Emission factors for Norway and Austria - country average mix are now fixed, and also contain a market-location based split.
This dataset has no greenhouse gas split available, and only reports CO2 factors.
This dataset does not contain information about the bioCO2 produced by electricity generated by biofuels.
The slow publishing cycle of AIB introduces relative big shifts for emissions, affecting the year before this year (Y-1). These should be used with caution and with a good understanding of the uncertainty involved.
No residual mix is calculated for Austria and Switzerland due to full disclosure regimes. The residual mix is presented as zero, but should in practice not be used.
The production mix for Norway is 0 in 2023, resulting in 0 kgCO2/kWh location-based emissions for all details.
- In 2018, AIB did publish life-cycle emission factors (including fuel extraction emissions). 30% is the rounded-up mean ratio for those
A detailed overview of all factors can be found in the main publication. Their however highlights of the major result changes. These are repeated here: