International. At the United Nations Climate Action Summit held last month in New York, a coalition of governments, businesses and institutions announced plans to work together to drive a 3% annual rate of improvement in global energy intensity.
The coalition is made up of Argentina, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Portugal, Senegal and the United Kingdom.
The analysis by the IEA (International Energy Agency), which inspired the creation of the coalition, shows that a 3% rate of improvement in energy intensity can generate a significant part of the greenhouse gas emission reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, while using existing technologies and costs. -effective investments. Greater energy efficiency can also increase energy security, create jobs and reduce air pollution.
The new initiative, the Three Percent Club, aims to significantly increase global momentum on energy efficiency, a critical concern as progress in global energy efficiency has slowed since 2015. The coalition is part of the IEA's broader efforts to highlight the urgent need for policy action to intensify global progress on energy efficiency.
Immediate action by governments and the private sector, along with increased collaboration, is needed to achieve and sustain annual energy intensity improvements of 3%. The rate of improvement is currently slowing down (last year it was only 1.3%) and only a handful of countries' plans under the Paris Agreement include specific energy efficiency commitments.
The 15 countries participating in the Three Percent Club coalition are committed to using the best levers available to take the world on a path of 3% annual efficiency improvement. This includes incorporating specific efficiency actions and commitments into national plans or providing financial and technical support to other countries.
"I am proud of the IEA's key role in creating this new initiative to improve global energy efficiency," said Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director. "Energy efficiency is the only energy resource that all countries share in abundance, and it can help reduce emissions while improving people's well-being. Our analysis shows that collectively we can achieve much higher rates of progress, and we are delighted to see the leadership and ambition set by these countries."
Large corporations and supporting organizations, including Danfoss, EDP, Johnson Controls, LeasePlan, Saint-Gobain, Signify, Thermo King, Trane and the Global Green Growth Initiative, are committed to taking steps to significantly improve the efficiency of their own operations and support the development or implementation of energy efficiency policies in countries involved in the coalition.
Source: International Energy Agency.
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