Quality and Methodology Information (QMI):Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) Survey QMI

The following gives a summary of important quality information that you need to know before using this data.

The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy Survey Quality and Methodology Information PDF attached below contains further information on:

• the strengths and limitations of the data

• the quality of the output: including the accuracy of the data, how it compares with related data

• uses and users

• how the output was created

Important points about LCREE data:

• The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) Survey is the primary source of official information on LCREE activity in the UK.

• Estimates are available at the UK and UK country level on turnover, number of businesses, imports, exports, employees and capital assets.

• Results from the LCREE survey can be used to show business activity in 17 specific sectors which can be aggregated into 6 LCREE groups.

• Some of the LCREE sectors are small but growing; as a new survey there is limited information on how to target LCREE businesses for sample selection, and so response for some of the sectors is too small to publish.

• The coefficients of variation (CV) for some of the estimates are high, limiting the use of the data.

• The LCRE activity does not have to be the main activity for a business to be counted as active in the LCRE economy.

• The survey only collects data on direct LCREE activities; indirect activities, such as decommissioning of nuclear plants, are excluded.

• Limited comparator data are available – information is available on some sectors; however, differences in scope limit comparability.

• Data on activity in the UK low-carbon economy are available from the BEIS low-carbon report, but due to differences in definitions and methodology, results are not directly comparable.

Overview

The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) Survey is an annual survey which provides estimates of the LCREE in the UK, following demand for official statistics on this topic. The LCREE survey was conducted for the first time in 2015, for the reporting year 2014. Continuity between the first and second year of the survey was ensured with minimal changes made to the questionnaire in the second year.

The survey provides a number of high-level indicators of LCREE activity such as turnover, number of businesses, imports, exports, employees and capital assets. Results from the LCREE survey can be used to show business activity in 17 specific sectors which can be aggregated into 6 LCREE groups.

All businesses with an employment of 250 or above are selected, together with a random sample of businesses from each of the other strata, defined by 2-digit SIC 2007 industry classification, country and employment size-band. Businesses that are randomly sampled are generally expected to remain in the sample for 2 years.

A first estimates statistical bulletin containing high-level estimates is released 12 months after the reference period. Approximately 18 months after the reference period, a final high-level estimates bulletin is released, containing final high-level results, detailed sector data and industry breakdown. The first year-on-year comparisons will be available in the December 2016 publication.

Estimates in the annual publication are used across government, business and academia to help inform policy decisions as well as decisions relating to low-carbon employment and investment opportunities.