Paul Kellett
United for Efficiency Project Manager, UN Environment.
Climate-friendly and energy-efficient lighting and appliances can transform lives, save 10% of global electricity,and reduce pollution all at the same time – an unbeatable opportunity for every citizen and country in the world. Join us.
The availability of high performance lighting and appliances has improved considerably in many countries. In some cases, costs have fallen consistently and dramatically.
However, up to two-thirds of developing and emerging economies have no mandatory minimum energy performance standards for appliances such as room air conditioners and refrigerators. This allows the sale of low performance electrical products in these rapidly growing markets.
Building a globally sustainable energy system with more eflicient products is an unmissable opportunity that is available right now everywhere.
The scale of the potential missed opportunity is large. An increasingly urbanised and growing middle class in fastest-growing economies such as Africa, India, and South East Asia, will require modern conveniences like lighting and appliances. As a result,the number of refrigerators and air conditioners in use globally will double, and the number of light points to increase by 50%,by 2030.
In order for governments to leverage this opportunity, they should design and implement policies that accelerate the adoption of climate-friendly and energy-eflicient products. Fortunately, there are proven ways to do this while also eliminating outdated technologies from the market.UN Environment’s United for Efficiency global initiative identified readily available country savings of up to 20% of electricity usage for each of the 150 countries considered. This opportunity translates into a sustained annual savings for consumers of over $350 billion every year, making life-changing products such as efficient refrigerators more accessible and affordable for millions of people.
The avoided investment opportunity in unnecessary new power plants by making more eflicient products is over
$1 billion. Developing and emerging economies could spend this avoided investment better, for example on new infrastructure, while creating millions of new sustainable jobs. New investment in eflicient products can also save significant amounts of air pollution and up to five times more greenhouse gas emissions per $1 invested than electricity supply side investments, including solar and wind power.
United for Efliciency is supporting over 40 developing economiesacross Africa, Asia, and Latin America to transform their markets to available and more eflicient electrical products through strategic energy efliciency programmes.
The focus is on supporting a permanent structural change in product markets. Participating countries are providing both ordinary and specialised consumers with available climate-friendly and energy-eflicient products, transforming lives, their energy sectors, and air pollution levels for the better.
Help us make a big difference!
By Paul Kellett – United for Efficiency Project Manager, UN Environment
