The six speakers at EE Global’s Opening Plenary Session on Monday evening issued a resounding “yes” to all and any questions of the possibility that energy efficiency can and will rise to be the first fuel of the modern world.
Said Alliance President Kateri Callahan, “EE Global speaks volumes about our intent to advance energy efficiency around the world.” Offering insight taken from Alliance policy activities to advance an economic stimulus package worth $26 billion for energy efficiency in the world’s largest energy consuming nation, Callahan applauded this new administration and Congress’ “razor-sharp focus on energy efficiency. Said Callahan, “I believe the U.S. is ready to step and help to drive energy efficiency with the rest of the world.”
Chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric Jean-Pascal Tricoire defined for the audience the complex set of factors that necessitates global implementation of energy efficiency – itself the raison d’etre of EE Global. “There has never been a better moment for having a conference like this today, namely because the world is more aware that energy efficiency is a must.” A population boom and increasing urbanization have begat a host of new economies; 60 percent of the world now lives in cities, yet there are still 1.6 billion people that are ‘energy poor’, with no access to electricity.
It is no secret that the technologies needed to address this array of challenges exist, said Tricoire; and it is his belief that through a combination of passive and proactive actions in industry, as well as legislative requirements and public pressure, energy can be made safe, efficient, green and reliable.
Support for this kind of multifaceted strategy is being seen in all corners of the world, as evidenced by remarks from the afternoon’s next two speakers, both policymakers, and both renowned champions of energy efficiency in their respective countries. Said the Member of Canadian Parliament and Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt, “I am very happy to sell energy efficiency to the Canadian people…Promoting [it] is a priority for the Government of Canada because energy efficiency is the easiest, most affordable and effective way to conserve energy.”
The sheer size of Canada and its less-than-temperate climate make transporting goods and heating homes particularly energy-intensive labors. Canada is the fifth largest energy producer in the world, and its oil reserves are second to those of Saudi Arabia; it has a wealth of gas, coal and uranium, and is the single largest supplier of oil to the U.S.
Despite its large energy appetite, the country has mapped out aggressive strategies to cut consumption, such as an absolute reduction in green house gases to 2000 levels by 2020. Energy efficiency is key to achieving any of these targets for sustainable growth, having already contributed to Canada witnessing only a 21 percent increase in its energy end-use despite a GDP growth by 55 percent. Minister Raitt described how a combination of effective public-private partnerships, financial incentives for efficiency retrofits, and progressive technology development paired with steadfast advances in the policy sector – most notably, an economic action stimulus plan that is likely to generate some CAD2.4 billion in economic activity over the next two years – have put Canada well on its way to seriously reducing its energy consumption. And Canada, said the minister, is a team player: “We are always looking to harmonize our efforts with our neighbors…to share our benefits and experiences, and learn from others.”
Just coming off a major election was Member of Parliament and former Union Minister for Power in India Suresh Prabhu. According to the minister, India’s population is predicted to increase to 1.6 billion by 2050; the country boasts a booming economy, and its growing middle class contingent are already demonstrating the increase in energy consumption that often accompany higher standards of living.
Reports the minister, 2/3 of India’s electricity comes from coal-fired power plants, and the figure is expected to increase to 1/2 by 2050 – yet 45 percent of Indian households don’t have access to energy. The challenge faced by the minister and other leaders in his country is this: how to bring more electricity to the population and meet the growing demand while also being energy efficient?
But thanks to leaders like Minister Prabhu, change is underfoot, for while the country’s need for fossil fuel-based power is sure to remain constant, India’s energy portfolio is expanding: currently the country is the 6th largest producer of wind power in the world. Moreover, the minister himself was instrumental in helping India become more energy efficient than ever, having guided the passage of the Energy Conservation Act of 2001 – the cornerstone of the Energy Conservation Policy-making in India. India has also been an active participant in discussions on climate change, despite the country’s relatively low level of greenhouse gas emissions. “We would like to help the global community work together on this project of reducing global emissions and reducing energy use,” said the minister. “Energy efficiency will be key component to combating climate change, and we look forward to working with companies in India to move this forward.”
According to Dr. Johannes Milde, CEO of Siemens Building Technologies Divisions Industry Sector, moving forward is easier than we would think. “We don’t have to wait to save energy – we have the tools and technology to do it today. It is clear that there is no conflict between economy and ecology.”
The common denominator of electricity to issues such as climate change, demographic change, urbanization and globalization pose an interesting challenge for Siemens: after all, 80 percent of their business involves generating, transporting and using electrical energy. According to Dr. Milde, the answer lies in the holistic approach to energy and sustainability that his company has taken by engaging in initiatives to curb climate change; reducing the company’s carbon footprint; utilizing innovative business models; leveraging existing technologies and developing new ones; and increasing the depth of their energy efficiency and sustainability expertise by aligning with research institutes.
Dr. Milde also stressed the important relationship between legislation and industry: where legislation creates the market pull, industry provides the technology push, and so on. Such combined efforts can contribute to a building industry that cares for the lifetime and operations of even the best, most efficiently built structure. And with the market potential for environmental products and solutions is growing, Siemens is swiftly expanding its environmental portfolio.
Complementing his colleagues and fellow plenary speakers in the public and private sectors, the Honorable Claude Turmes representing the Green/EFA Group in European Parliament stressed the absolute necessity to forge a stronger energy efficiency lobby to oversee development of a robust industrial green policy, particularly in Europe where so few funds are allocated to national action on energy efficiency. Furthermore, this lobby must shift its attention from the issue of climate change, which is too abstract and brutal in consequences, to today’s political sensibilities.
The minister gave the audience a ‘state of play’ of energy efficiency in Europe: namely, the laudable plans outlined in the 20-20-20 Future EU Energy Mix, as well as promising legislation that aims to improve building efficiency and appliance standards. Transport, the minister noted, has no overall sector target.
What Minister Turmes would like to see happen is not only more money for energy efficiency at EU and national levels but also obligations on energy retailers, stronger education of public sector leaders, and targets and standards for industry. The minister issued a call for an organized energy efficiency lobby of non-government organizations, energy industry players and legislators – similar to how the Alliance to Save Energy operates in the U.S. – and, among other things, an effort to encourage innovation in research and development of energy efficiency while also communicating its message in a fashionable, “sexy” way that captures the attention of all end-users.
Tags: Canada, Dr. Johannes Milde, European Parliament, Honorable Claude Turmes, Honorable Lisa Raitt, Honorable Suresh Prabhu, India, Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Schneider Electric, Siemens Building Technologies
[...] “Be passionate,” was the key advice from Dian Grueneich to anyone interested in energy efficiency. Ms Grueneich is the commissioner at the State of Californian Public Utilities Commission, and she has been instrumental over the last two decades in ensuring that California’s energy use per capita has not increased while the state’s economy has grown rapidly. On Wednesday she received an award from her efforts from the Alliance to Save Energy, at its EEGlobal conference in Paris. [...]
Australia’s FINSIA will shortly be publishing my findings on global investment and spending needed simply to fight oil & gas depletion to 2025. This is a target of 25 Mbd oil equivalent in 16 years, and likely needs a minimum of 750 Bn USD per year
So far there is no multilateral program, structure or frameworks to structure and facilitate, operate and finance this massive Energy Transition
Let us hope moves will start to this end real soon