Energy efficiency is our best hope for a sustainable future

This statement advocates for putting energy efficiency at the center of clean energy transitions, noting that it could contribute to 38% of global CO2 reductions by 2050. It highlights that efficiency reduces the burden on renewable energy production and storage, and promotes the use of existing smart energy systems, such as district heating and thermal storage in buildings, as cost-effective alternatives to batteries.

• Energy efficiency improvements implemented since 2001 resulted in the world using 12 percent less energy in 2016 than it otherwise would have, a volume described as equivalent to adding another European Union to the global energy market.
• Energy efficiency is considered essential for a clean energy transition because renewable energy is not always produced when or where it is needed, meaning renewables alone are insufficient without efficiency to reduce the need for production, transport, and storage.
• Energy efficiency is an underutilized tool that could contribute to 38 percent of total global CO2 emission reductions by 2050, using technology that already exists.
• Smart energy systems, such as district energy and thermal storage in buildings, provide a more affordable alternative to batteries for integrating renewables. For example, supermarkets can capture heat from cooling systems to reuse internally or redistribute to nearby homes via district heating grids.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2018). Energy efficiency is our best hope for a sustainable future. https://www.seforall.org/news/energy-efficiency-is-our-best-hope-for-a-sustainable-future

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Energy efficiency is our best hope for a sustainable future. 2018. https://www.seforall.org/news/energy-efficiency-is-our-best-hope-for-a-sustainable-future.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Energy efficiency is our best hope for a sustainable future |date=9 August 2018 |url=https://www.seforall.org/news/energy-efficiency-is-our-best-hope-for-a-sustainable-future |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{sustainableenergyforall2018energy, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Energy efficiency is our best hope for a sustainable future}}, publisher = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2018}, month = aug, url = {https://www.seforall.org/news/energy-efficiency-is-our-best-hope-for-a-sustainable-future}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }