Climate Action 2014-2015

MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
FOR ALL
A new initiative that aims to overcome
some of these challenges – the Global
Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform
– was launched at the UN Secretary
General’s Climate Summit, 2014.
The Global Platform is a public-private
partnership within the Sustainable
Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative led
by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
and the World Bank President Jim Yong
Kim. SE4ALL has as one of its three
inter-linked objectives to be achieved
by 2030 a doubling of the global rate of
improvement in energy efficiency; the
Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator
Platform will help reach this objective.
The Accelerator Platform brings
together countries, cities and private
companies with the support of
international organisations and finance
institutions. The Platform has a
number of sector or technology-based
accelerators currently covering five areas:
Lighting
Appliances and equipment
Buildings
Vehicle fuel efficiency
District energy systems.
These are exactly the areas identified by
IEA as having particularly high potential.
Additional accelerators are being
developed for industry, in particular small
and medium-sized enterprises, and the
electric power industry.
Cities, states and regions around the
world have been leaders in driving
energy efficiency policies and
practices within their jurisdictions.
Many large and medium-sized cities
have participated in C40 and ICLEI
initiatives to improve sustainability and
reduce carbon emissions within their
jurisdictions. At the recent C40 Mayors
Summit in Johannesburg, participating
cities reported that they had collectively
taken over 1,800 energy efficiency
actions. The R20 members, along with
the States and Regions Network, have
taken similar action to reduce the
threat and impact of climate change
in their regions. What has often been
missing from these efforts is strong
collaboration between a public sector
entity setting the policy and regulatory
frameworks, and a private sector that
is committed to driving technology
standards, finding financial solutions,
and responding to targeted incentives
that aim to accelerate improvements.
The EE Accelerator Platform aims to
fill this space.
A RAPID TRANSITION TO
EFFICIENT LIGHTING
Electricity for lighting accounts for at
least 15 per cent of global electric power
consumption and results in 5 per cent
of worldwide CO 2
emissions (UNEP,
2012). A global transition to widely
available efficient solutions in all indoor
and outdoor applications by 2030 would
lower electricity demand for lighting by
over 1,000 terawatt-hours annually, and
"Stringent implementation
of existing pledges will be
important."
"55 developing countries
have joined the en.lighten
initiative with the intent of
phasing-out inefficient
incandescent lamps by the
end of 2016."
reduce emissions by 530 million tonnes of
CO 2
equivalent. Widespread use of energy
efficient lamps and lighting devices
would cut household electricity bills by
an annual US$120; reduce fuel imports,
peak demand, and the frequency of power
outages; and improve end-user welfare. A
rapid transition to efficiency measures in
the lighting sector would also save over
US$230 billion in avoided investments in
roughly 280 new coal-fired power plants.
To date, 55 developing countries have
joined the en.lighten initiative with
the intent of phasing-out inefficient
incandescent lamps by the end of 2016.
Half of these countries are drafting or
already implementing efficient lighting
strategies with support from UNEP.
Partner countries alone will save over US
$7.5 billion and reduce emissions CO 2
by
35 million tonnes annually. During the
Climate Summit another 11 countries
joined the en.lighten initiative and more
are in the process of engaging formally.
THE GLOBAL SHIFT TO
EFFICIENT APPLIANCES AND
EQUIPMENT
In 2012, non-OECD countries
consumed more than half of the world’s
electricity for the first time (IEA Key
World Energy Statistics 2014). In these
same countries demand will continue to
grow the fastest in coming years, driven
by economic development and the
acquisition by millions of households
and businesses of electricity-consuming
devices that add markedly to the quality
of life. If the millions of refrigerators,
air conditioners, ceiling fans, and
other appliances of tomorrow are as
energy efficient as possible, consumers
climateactionprogramme.org 79