Expanding Our Vision of Energy Efficiency

The document proposes a shift from traditional technology-replacement efficiency to a 'whole-systems' approach. It argues that combining electrification with energy end-use efficiency (reducing the demand for energy services) can reduce overall energy demand by 50-75%. The author provides sector-specific examples: in buildings, through passive design and compact urban development; in mobility, via land-use reforms and smaller, lighter electric vehicles; in freight, through modal shifts to rail and material demand reduction; and in steel, via circularity and material substitution. The brief concludes that achieving the COP28 goal of doubling energy efficiency improvement rates requires engaging a diverse range of stakeholders to trigger social tipping points.

• Combining electrification and energy end-use efficiency can lead to a total energy demand reduction of 50 to 75 percent.
• To meet the COP28 global agreement of a 4 percent annual energy efficiency improvement rate by 2030, a radical rethink is needed, as recent global rates were only 2 percent in 2022 and dropped to 1 percent in 2023 and 2024.
• In the building sector, deep energy retrofits (including comprehensive air sealing, insulation, and high-performance windows/doors) can save 60-80 percent of energy, while basic weatherization and insulation typically save 10-30 percent.
• Urban passenger transport energy demand could be reduced by 67 percent by combining electrification with end-use efficiency measures such as transit-oriented development and pedestrian infrastructure.
• Vehicle weight could be lowered by 35 percent at a reasonable cost, which would reduce fuel consumption by 12-20 percent without compromising safety or performance.
• Freight energy demand can be significantly lowered by shifting from trucks to rail, as trucks use nearly three times more energy per ton-km than rail.
• Global energy demand for steel production could be 60 percent lower by 2050 compared to business-as-usual scenarios if demand-side approaches like material efficiency, substitution, and circularity are used.
• Recycling steel is significantly more energy-efficient than primary production, requiring only 10-25 percent of the energy used to produce virgin steel.

APA

RMI (2025). Expanding Our Vision of Energy Efficiency. https://rmi.org/resources/expanding-our-vision-of-energy-efficiency/

Chicago

RMI. Expanding Our Vision of Energy Efficiency. 2025. https://rmi.org/resources/expanding-our-vision-of-energy-efficiency/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Expanding Our Vision of Energy Efficiency |date=22 January 2025 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/expanding-our-vision-of-energy-efficiency/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2025expanding, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Expanding Our Vision of Energy Efficiency}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/expanding-our-vision-of-energy-efficiency/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }