IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol called for a new push on energy efficiency in a keynote address at the EEGlobal Forum 2016 on 12 May in Washington.Detailing the IEA pathway to limiting global temperature rise in keeping with the COP21 Paris Agreement, Dr. Birol told the invitation-only event that “the largest contribution to decarbonisation overall comes from energy efficiency”.Despite its great benefits, he added, there is a risk that in the context of low energy prices, attention will shift away from energy efficiency, but that would be a grave mistake.
Helping countries around the world to scale up energy efficiency has long been a priority for the IEA. Tapping the large energy efficiency potential across sectors and economies is crucial for countries to deliver not just on climate objectives but also improve their energy security, economic development and citizens’ health. IEA advice on energy efficiency to governments and other decision makers appears in a wealth of forms, including analysis in its flagship publication World Energy Outlook and its annual Energy Efficiency Market Report and Energy Technology Perspectives, plus, last year, preparatory work for the UN climate talks in Paris.
Dr. Birol spoke in Washington just two days after he and the Agency hosted the first meeting of its Energy Efficiency Industry Advisory Board (EEIAB) in Paris. The new body brings together 16 companies from around the world, including China Energy Management Company Association, Energy Efficiency Services Limited of India, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, Siemens and Toshiba.Like other IEA industry advisory boards for renewables and fossil fuels, EEIAB will advise the Agency on priorities and policies to strengthen institutional and investor action on energy efficiency and give industry’s perspective on what is needed to support the market for energy efficiency.
At the debut meeting on 10 May, member companies and IEA officials prioritised Agency action to help governments analyse policies and develop data tools critical to assessing energy efficiency markets, and then share evidence of success with policy makers and investors worldwide.In October, the IEA will publish the 2016 edition of Energy Efficiency Market Report and host its first high-level conference on energy efficiency.
