An ideal resource

The rating of the International Energy Efficiency Outlook – 2018 evaluates 25 major energy consuming countries by 36 efficiency indexes. The rated countries account for more than 80% of the global domestic product and 78% of energy consumption.

The international community considers energy efficiency as one of the key areas of countering the climate change. After decades of growth, the greenhouse gas emissions got stable at the level of 36 billion tons of CO2 equivalent. This all had been happening on the background of economical growth. Experts of the International Energy Agency (IEA) believe that by 77% it is due to the growth of energy efficiency.

“"No single country has approached the ideal indexes of energy efficiency, but all of them have the potential of using this resource for achieving national climate goals for the implementation of the Paris Agreement,” wrote the experts who had composed the АСЕЕЕ rating.

As it follows from the assessment table of the International System, the average energy efficiency index remained the same as in previous years: 51 of 100 possible points. This year, the first line in the rating belongs to Germany and Italy with 75.5 points; France (73.5), the United Kingdom (73) and Japan (67) are the next in the line.  

The total score in the rating was summed up of the scores by four indexes: buildings, industry, transport, and the national efforts outlining the general and inter-sectoral indexes of energy consumption at the national level.

In the nomination of the “Energy efficiency of buildings,” the leaders were Spain (22 points of 25), France (21) and Great Britain (21). Russia with 9 points was placed 20^th.

In the energy efficiency of the industry, the leaders were Japan (21.5 points of 25), Germany (20.5) and Italy (20.5). Our country was the 19^th (10 points).

Germany won in the nomination of “National efforts” (22 points of 25). The Great Britain (18.5) and Italy (18) were the next. Russia has the 22^nd position and 6 points.  

The best position of all four indexes (18^th place with 9.5 points) Russia has got in the nomination of the “Energy efficiency of transport.” The leaders in this nomination were France (17.5 points of 25), India (17) and Italy (17).

Mexico has got the best progress in the rating as compared with its previous results: it has got from the 19^th position to the 12^th (right after the U.S. and Canada). This became possible thanks to adoption of the broad-scale National Program for the Sustainable Use of Energy and implementation of new energy efficiency standards.

Russia went down from the 17^th position to the 21^st. The total score of our country decreased from 38 to 34.5. Russia has improved its indexes in the “Energy efficiency of buildings” (9 points in 2018 vs. 6 points in the last rating) but reduced its indexes in the “National-level actions” (6 vs. 11 points). One of the major reasons of this, in the opinion of the raters, is the insignificant level of state funds allocated for the energy efficiency enhancement and research, development, and engineering works.

“By the forecast, the global energy demand will get a 30% increase by 2040. Research outcomes show that all countries win from the adoption of special policies in energy efficiency,” says Steve Nadel, ACEEE Executive Director. “This policy reduces dependence upon energy importing, creates jobs, and reduces air pollution. It also helps countries stay competitive at the global level and achieve climate goals.”

“Energy efficiency is the most accessible and clean energy source,” says Olga Senova, Climate Secretariat of the Russian Social and Ecological Union. “It is one of the major directions for mitigation of the human impact on climate. This is essential for Russia which has a huge resource of energy efficiency both in the industry and residential sector, especially the buildings.  Russia is shaping the national policy, and energy efficiency might become its key element. Real   stimulation of energy efficiency measures and implementation of new technologies provides for the basis of not only the development of the ‘green image’ of particular companies bur also for ‘greening’ of the entire economy and all spheres of life in Russia.”