Energy efficiency can lead the world towards its climate targets

The author asserts that energy efficiency is the world's greatest energy resource and a critical pillar for a clean energy transition. By integrating efficiency with renewable energy, sustainable buildings, and electric vehicles, the world can significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The text highlights specific potentials, such as reducing building energy demand by 30% through optimized control and powering 550 million electric vehicles by 2040 by increasing building retrofit rates to 5% per year. It cites Copenhagen's EnergyLab Nordhavn as a model for integrated, flexible energy systems.

• Energy efficiency is described as the quickest and least expensive method for addressing economic, environmental, and energy security challenges, offering a high return on investment where every €1 spent saves €3 over the technology's lifespan.
• Combining energy efficiency with renewable energy can provide over 90% of the CO2 emission reductions required to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Furthermore, implementing current energy efficiency opportunities could reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 12% by 2040.
• Increasing the annual rate of building retrofits from approximately 1% to 5% would create enough grid capacity to support 550 million electric vehicles by 2040 without needing to increase power generation capacity.
• The document identifies four specific areas of untapped potential: reducing building energy demand by 30% via optimized flow control (with 2-5 year payback), making the water sector energy neutral (saving 4% of global electricity), using excess heat recovery to meet the total building energy demand in Europe, and replacing 10 coal-fired power plants in Europe by connecting supermarket refrigeration systems to the grid.
• Copenhagen's EnergyLab Nordhavn serves as a demonstration of an integrated energy system combining electric transport, energy-efficient buildings, and renewable energy to help the city reach CO2 neutrality by 2025. This follows a trend in Denmark where building energy consumption per square metre fell by 45% over 40 years.

APA

Fausing, K. (2019). Energy efficiency can lead the world towards its climate targets. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/energy-efficiency-can-lead-the-world-towards-its-climate-targets/

Chicago

Fausing, Kim. Energy efficiency can lead the world towards its climate targets. World Economic Forum, 2019. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/energy-efficiency-can-lead-the-world-towards-its-climate-targets/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Fausing |first1=Kim |title=Energy efficiency can lead the world towards its climate targets |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=21 January 2019 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/energy-efficiency-can-lead-the-world-towards-its-climate-targets/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{fausing2019energy, author = {Fausing, Kim}, title = {{Energy efficiency can lead the world towards its climate targets}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2019}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/energy-efficiency-can-lead-the-world-towards-its-climate-targets/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }