Energy efficiency policies have proven successful in reducing energy bills, protecting consumers and enhancing energy security. They are also central to achieving global goals for net zero emissions from energy. Energy efficiency is particularly important in this decade, offering opportunities to reduce emissions quickly as well as reducing the overall investment requirements of net zero goals and making our net zero goals more achievable.
As part of people-centred clean energy transitions, an emphasis on energy efficiency also provides an opportunity to create more jobs, support economic growth and industrial output.
However, the current scale of energy efficiency action is not sufficient and there is a need to accelerate implementation on a global level.
Energy efficiency and demand side action have a particularly important role to play now as global energy prices are high and volatile, hurting households, industries and entire economies. Energy efficiency offers immediate opportunities to reduce energy costs and reduce reliance on imported fuels.
IEA analysis shows the potential for energy efficiency and energy saving actions by government, businesses and households to quickly reduce consumption. Faster progress on energy efficiency has for example the potential to avoid 95 EJ a year of final energy consumption by the end of this decade.
Therefore, on the occasion of the IEA’s 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency taking place in Sønderborg, Denmark, and the ministerial roundtable chaired by Dan Jørgensen, Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, the participants at the event endorsed a joint statement:
Recognising the value of early action on energy efficiency to cost-effectively accelerate progress towards net zero energy targets.
Welcoming the new IEA research highlighting the significant environmental, economic and social benefits of early action on energy efficiency, particularly between now and 2030
Welcoming the strategic principles and policy toolkits (the ‘Sønderborg Action Plan’) illustrating the options available to governments
Intending to continue to seek opportunities for exchange and collaboration towards better policy making and implementation of energy efficiency actions, asking the IEA to continue to facilitate and support these actions, and calling on all governments, industry, enterprises and stakeholders to strengthen their action on energy efficiency.
Participants:
African Union
Austria
Australia
Canada
Chile
Czech Republic
Estonia
European Union
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Indonesia
Ireland
Japan
Lithuania
Mexico
New Zealand
Panama
Poland
Romania
United Kingdom
United States
Senegal
Sweden
Turkey
(energia.gr, June 21, 2022)
