The report highlights that energy efficiency is critical to the G20’s efforts to facilitate energy transitions.
It was presented during the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth in Karuizawa, Japan.
The EELP is the G20’s first long-term plan for energy efficiency up to 2030.
18 June 2019: The International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) has released a report on energy efficiency in G20 economies that presents an update on the G20 Energy Efficiency Leading Programme (EELP) and an overview of technical work undertaken during the year.The report titled, ‘Accelerating Energy Efficiency Progress in G20 Economies,’ was presented during the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth, which convened from 15-16 June 2019, in Karuizawa, Japan.
G20 countries are working together to progress energy transitions that achieve ‘3E+S’: energy security, economic efficiency, and environmental safety. In this context, energy efficiency is critical to the G20’s efforts to facilitate such transitions, including by securing a more sustainable, cost-effective energy future.
The report captures progress made on the implementation of the G20 EELP and its initiatives and outlines opportunities for G20 voluntary actions aimed at raising awareness on the importance of innovation, that is “accelerating the virtuous circle of environmental protection and economic growth by innovation.”
The EELP was launched in 2016 as a platform for energy efficiency and international cooperation, with a focus on buildings, industry, transport, appliances, and cross-sectoral areas such as finance. It is the G20’s first long-term plan for energy efficiency up to 2030, and its implementation helps support and advance the design, acceleration and enactment of national energy efficiency policies and programmes. This led to the endorsement by most G20 members of the 2017 G20 Action Plan on Climate and Energy for Growth, which includes the G20 Energy Efficiency Investment Toolkit.
The report details that, over the past five years, G20 EELP initiatives (or Task Groups), coordinated by IPEEC, have focused on: super-efficient equipment and appliances deployment; networked devices; buildings; transport; energy management; finance; energy efficiency best available technologies and best practices; ‘high-efficiency, low-emissions,’ energy end use data and energy efficiency metrics; district energy systems; and the Energy Efficiency Knowledge Sharing Framework.
The report concludes that the G20 EELP Task Groups continue to play a central role in accelerating energy efficiency policies and programmes in G20 economies, by: deepening technical collaboration among G20 economies on implementation of best practices; providing technical assistance for developing policy frameworks and roadmaps; and facilitating ongoing dialogue between governments, industry and other key stakeholders.
The report emphasizes the importance of cooperative efforts to reduce energy demand to achieve energy transitions that support ‘3E+S’. It also calls for, inter alia: gathering reliable energy efficiency data; and raising awareness regarding the role of finance and investment in promoting innovation in clean technology and energy efficiency.
The report encourages G20 members to advance innovation to implement the economy-wide decarbonization strategies that are needed to deliver optimal net zero pathways and societal benefits of the energy transition, as well as climate objectives and the SDGs.
Established in 2009, IPEEC identifies and facilitates implementation of public policies and programmes related to energy efficiency. [IPEEC Press Release] [Publication: Accelerating Energy Efficiency Progress in G20 Economies]