Meeting Climate Change Goals Through Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency Insights Brief
© OECD/IEA 2017
Why Discuss Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Goals?
- Key Role: Energy efficiency is crucial for achieving the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) announced under the Paris Agreement.
- Benefits: Beyond emission reductions, energy efficiency leads to energy savings, economic benefits, and improved health.
- Current Status: Current NDCs are not aligned with limiting global temperature rise to well below 2°C by the end of the century.
Opportunities
- Cost-Effectiveness: Energy efficiency measures are among the most cost-effective actions to reduce emissions.
- Quick Deployment: Energy efficiency can be implemented rapidly and is a resource available to all countries.
- Modeling: In IEA models, energy efficiency makes the largest contribution to global emissions reduction, driven by efficiency gains in various sectors like transport and industry.
Key Recommendations
- Strong Policies: Essential for addressing climate change, air pollution, improving energy security, and increasing energy access.
- Mandatory Regulations: Policies such as minimum energy performance standards and energy efficiency obligations have led to significant energy and emissions savings.
- Sector-Specific Focus: Urgently target sectors and measures with the greatest potential for efficiency gains.
Key Points
- Decoupling Economic Growth: Decoupling economic growth from energy consumption is vital for meeting climate change goals.
- Role of Energy Efficiency Policies: These policies and technologies will play a key role in reducing emissions.
- Ambitious Targets: Countries should set and enforce more ambitious energy efficiency policies, including mandatory minimum energy performance standards for products and vehicles.
Implementation of Energy Efficiency Policies
- Global Tracking: The IEA tracks energy efficiency policies using the Global Exchange Platform and the Energy Efficiency Policy Progress Index.
- Progress Mixed: Since the 2015 UN Climate Conference in Paris, 163 countries have submitted their NDCs, many focusing on or incorporating energy efficiency.
- Examples:
- Japan: Aim to make over half of new homes zero-energy by 2020.
- Brazil: Target 10% efficiency improvement in the electricity sector by 2030.
- India: Expanded the Perform, Achieve Trade (PAT) programme to include commercial buildings.
- European Union: Proposed an update to the Energy Efficiency Directive with a 30% savings target by 2030.
Challenges
- Slowdown in Implementation: There has been a noticeable slowdown in the implementation of new policies since the Paris Agreement.
- Reliance on Existing Policies: Increasing reliance on pre-existing policies to drive energy efficiency improvements.
Conclusion
- Critical Need for Action: Full implementation of new policies is required to have a significant impact on energy efficiency and climate goals.
This summary provides an overview of the key points and data related to energy efficiency and its role in achieving climate change goals, based on the provided text.
