Action on energy efficiency requires both technological and social change

Although sometimes overlooked in the race to devise innovative solutions to the climate crisis, energy efficiency remains crucially important. Energy efficiency has contributed to greater savings in primary energy and faster reductions in emissions compared to the transition to renewable energy resources. While the growth in global energy consumption dropped by 2.1% during the pandemic year of 2022, the growth rate remains higher than the average rate measured from 2010 to 2019. What can we do to slow this rate of growth, or even reverse it?

One of the best ways to take immediate and effective action is to transition from conventional lighting to energy-efficient LED lighting. LED light sources consume less than half the energy consumed by incandescent and fluorescent light sources, and up to 80% less energy when managed in a connected system. An individual light bulb or luminaire consumes a small amount of energy, but since lighting is everywhere that people are, the global lighting footprint is significant.

This means that transitioning to energy-efficient lighting solutions can have a significant effect. Since economic growth results in global increases in the use of artificial lighting, inaction will result in a significant increase in global energy consumption for lighting by 2030. While the global transition to energy-efficient LED lighting is moving very quickly—approximately 85% of lighting sales at Signify are LED today, for example—there are still significant benefits that can be gained by accelerating the depletion of the installed base of conventional lighting, which still accounts for almost 50% of all light points in the EU and the US. In fact, the worldwide switch to LED and connected LED could decrease global energy demand for electricity by 30%, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions by 1.4 billion metric tons a year. The switch is easy and relatively inexpensive to make, in both residential and commercial built environments.

It is important to keep in mind that making the transition to energy-efficient lighting involves not just technological change but also social change. People should be willing to make the switch. Individuals have to understand the positive effects of well-managed LED lighting on comfort and well-being. Businesses and cities have to understand its advantages not only in terms of energy and emissions reductions but also in terms of improvements to operations and quality of life.

A sense of urgency is appropriate. But fearmongering and finger-pointing will not bring about the necessary social change. Instead, the emphasis has to be on taking effective energy-efficiency action and improving the quality of life, work, and the economy. With the right approach, we can have our cake and eat it too.

 

Harry Verhaar
Head of Global Public and Government Affairs
Signify

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EU-ASE co-signs Letter Calling on the EU to Set a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target of at least 90% by 2040

CEOs, business leaders and investors from over 100 organisations have signed a joint letter calling on the EU to set a greenhouse emissions reduction target of at least 90% by 2040. Signatories stress that a robust target will bring economic opportunities and competitiveness benefits while increasing energy security for citizens and businesses. We argue that the target, and climate more broadly, should be considered as a central element of the EU’s overall strategy to achieve these objectives.

21 March 2024 – This month, a new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlighted that climate risks have reached critical levels and 2023 is now the hottest year since records began. On 25 March, Environment and Climate Ministers are set to discuss the EU’s 2040 climate target at the Council. As a result, over 90 businesses and investors from across the EU, representing more than a million employees and managing trillions of euros in assets, have joined forces to call for an ambitious target. At least 90% of greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by this date, to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis.

Signatories emphasise that a robust target, backed by a smart coherent package of supporting policies will decarbonise our economies. It will also ensure that we drive innovation and economic opportunities. This target will enable the creation of high quality jobs and cost savings that citizens rightly expect, while improving the health and well-being of its people.

The letter establishes principles for the economic transformation that will be necessary to achieve the target – and for a climate neutral EU in the longer term. These principles include developing a comprehensive industrial strategy, guided by a ‘competitive sustainability’ approach, accelerating the clean energy transition and efficiency, phasing out fossil fuels, nature-positive investment and harnessing the decarbonisation potential of the circular economy. 

 

Read the full letter here.

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Joint Letter on Water Resilience Initiative

The European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE), part of a broad coalition of European organisations, calls on the European Commission to deliver the Water Resilience Initiative as soon as possible as a first step towards an ambitious water strategy for Europe. 

March 11, Brussels – Today, a diverse coalition of European organisations has joined forces to call upon the European Commission to deliver the Water Resilience Initiative as soon as possible, marking a crucial first step towards an ambitious water strategy for Europe.

In an open letter addressed to the European Commission, the coalition emphasises the indispensable need for a water-resilient Europe in light of the escalating pressures on the continent’s freshwater resources, intensified by the impacts of climate change. The coalition stresses that water stands at the centre of the economic, societal, and environmental sustainability of Europe. As such, the Water Resilience Initiative is seen as imperative to provide European socio-economic actors with a competitive edge, while ensuring the availability of water resources of the highest quality at the right time.

Over the past five years, European institutions have diligently updated the European water acquis to confront emerging challenges head-on. A consensus has emerged among European Member States and institutions, highlighting the urgent need for a cohesive and comprehensive water strategy. Notably, resolutions from the European Council in 2021 and 2023 underscored the strategic significance of water and the imperative for decisive action. Bold commitments on water were submitted to the UN 2023 Water Conference, demonstrating Europe’s dedication to global leadership in water management.

These cannot be delivered without the Water Resilience Initiative that was announced in the State of the Union speech in September 2023. With Europe positioned to lead by example, the coalition urges the European Commission to stick to its commitment and swiftly deliver the Water Resilience Initiative, making water a top priority for the next mandate of the European Commission.

 

 Read the full letter here.

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Solving Europe’s water challenges means getting it right on energy

From strict emergency measures being introduced in Catalonia, to memories of nuclear plants shutting down in France due to drought and low water supply, one thing is clear, and that is Europe’s water sector is under pressure, says Bonaldi da Costa of Danfoss in Foresight Climate and Energy.

Are we on the cusp of a water crisis in Europe or are we already in the midst of one?

Climate change-induced volatile weather patterns, in combination with poor water management and increased water demand in the agricultural, energy and industrial sectors have proven a lethal combination piling on additional stress to an increasingly strained supply.

But when it comes to water, the stakes are too high to ignore. On top of the social and health implications for local communities, failure to find a sustainable resolution to the water crisis is an issue which will undoubtedly jeopardise the EU’s competitiveness and ability to develop strategic sectors such as the hydrogen economy.

Yet in rethinking a European approach to our water challenges, we cannot forget to put a heavy emphasis on solving the closely interlinked energy issue. The mutual dependence between water and energy is clear to see: energy generation accounts for 44% of the EU’s water consumption, while the water sector accounts for around 3% of the EU’s total electricity demand. For comparison, that is a figure comfortably larger than Belgium’s electricity consumption.

 

Read the full article in Foresight Climate & Energy.

 

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Europe needs a dedicated water strategy to tackle water scarcity while saving energy and reducing emissions

The next EU institutional framework must work on a European Water Strategy – a comprehensive, integrated response to tackle water scarcity, focusing on the synergies between water & energy use: the Water-Energy Nexus. 

Water scarcity is a growing concern in Europe, driven by climate change, population growth, urbanization, and inefficient water management practices. To combat this crisis effectively, an integrated approach is essential, leveraging the water-energy nexus to optimize water supply, treatment and use, while promoting energy savings, emission reductions and overall sustainability.

The next European institution framework must work on a European Water Strategy, a comprehensive, integrated response to tackle water scarcity focusing on the synergies between water and energy use.

To do so, for the next institutional term 2024-2029, the European Alliance to Save Energy urges policymakers to:

  • Complete and strengthen the EU and national policy and regulatory framework
  • Facilitate public-private partnerships
  • Provide finance for innovation, research and implementation
  • Forge responsibility to instigate change

 

Read the full European Water Strategy document here.

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