Briefing Paper – Energy Efficiency Background

This briefing paper by the World Resources Institute examines the history, current trends, and future goals of energy efficiency in the United States and China. It details bilateral cooperation frameworks established since the 1990s, analyzes the drivers of energy intensity declines in both nations, and outlines specific national targets for buildings, industry, and transportation to reach mid-century net-zero or carbon neutrality goals.

• The United States and China have a long history of energy efficiency collaboration, notably through the 2008 U.S.-China Ten Year Framework for Cooperation on Energy and the Environment. This framework established the Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which focused on building codes, industrial benchmarking, and consumer product performance metrics. Following the November 2023 Sunnylands Statement, both nations agreed to "restart the U.S.-China Energy Efficiency Forum to deepen policy exchanges on energy-saving and carbon-reducing solutions in key areas including industry, buildings, transportation, and equipment."
• U.S. energy intensity has declined steadily since 1950, falling to approximately half of 1985 levels by 2022. The rate of improvement increased to 2% per year between 1970 and 2022, driven by the 1973 oil embargo, fuel economy standards, and a structural economic shift from energy-intensive industries toward a services-oriented economy.
• China's energy efficiency trends have been volatile: it saw improvements of nearly 5% per year from 1980 to 2000, followed by a reversal between 2000 and 2005 where energy intensity increased by 2.2% per year due to WTO entry and industrial expansion. Efficiency improved again by 4% per year on average from 2005 to 2015 following the 11th Five-Year Plan's binding targets, but slowed to 2% per year between 2015 and 2023.
• The U.S. aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, with energy efficiency projected to contribute approximately 1 GtCO2e (22% of the energy sector's reductions) annually by 2050. This will be achieved through building insulation, advanced HVAC performance, and efficient electronic devices. Additionally, the U.S. joined the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge at COP28 to help double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency enhancements to over 4% by 2030.
• China's long-term goal is carbon neutrality by 2060. Its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) targets a 13.5% reduction in energy intensity. However, China missed its 2% goal for 2023, with energy intensity actually increasing by 0.5% that year. To meet its 2025 targets, China must now cut energy intensity by 6% in both 2024 and 2025.
• Specific sector targets in the U.S. include a proposed CAFE standard for passenger cars and light trucks to reach an average of 58 mpg by 2032. In the industrial sector, the goal is to reduce GHG emissions by one-third relative to 2019 levels by 2030. For buildings, the Inflation Reduction Act allocated $8.8 billion in grant funding for Home Energy Rebate Programs.
• China's sector-specific goals for 2025 include renovating at least 350 million square meters of commercial and residential buildings and ensuring prefabricated buildings account for 30% of new urban buildings. In industry, China aims for energy consumption per unit of value added to decrease by 13.5% compared to 2020, with high-efficiency energy-saving motors exceeding 70% of new additions.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Briefing Paper – Energy Efficiency Background. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-energy-efficiency-briefing-EN.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Briefing Paper – Energy Efficiency Background. n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-energy-efficiency-briefing-EN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Briefing Paper – Energy Efficiency Background |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-energy-efficiency-briefing-EN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbriefing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Briefing Paper – Energy Efficiency Background}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/2024-energy-efficiency-briefing-EN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }