Forty-five countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe endorsed the goal of doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvements by the end of the decade, reported the IEA (International Energy Agency).
This means increase annual energy efficiency progress from 2,2% today to more than 4% annually by 2030, in a move that would create jobs, expand access to energy, reduce energy bills, reduce air pollution and reduce countries' dependence on fossil fuel imports – among other social and economic benefits.
Ministers agreed with the statement during a round table at the conclusion of the Global Conference – Energy Efficiency: The Decade for Action, which brought together more than 600 participants from 90 countries, including more than 30 ministers and 50 CEOs. Governments with official delegations at the event represented 70% of global energy consumption.
“It is difficult to overstate the importance of energy efficiency in strengthening energy security and keeping the goal of limiting global warming to 1,5C in sight, so I am delighted that countries around the world are uniting around the call for IEA to double energy efficiency progress by 2030,” said Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director.
“This could help boost efforts to achieve an ambitious outcome at COP28 in Dubai,” he added. Among the signatories of the agreement are Brazil, Uruguay, the United States, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
A special IEA briefing report published on the first day of the Conference shows the range of benefits that improvements in energy efficiency can bring to societies around the world. The efficiency sector employs tens of millions of people around the world, and increased ambition and action could create another 12 million jobs by 2030.
The Global Conference was co-hosted by France's Energy Transition Minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, and IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol, and organized in partnership with Schneider Electric.
