High-level panel VI: The Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency – Energy Efficiency Accelerators

 
In light of the upcoming landmark events for the development agenda, particular emphasis has been placed on the significant potential of energy efficiency for the mitigation of GHG emissions. This session will explore this potential, while also delving into the wide spectrum of benefits from sustained improvements in energy efficiency, particularly in the economic and social realms.
According to estimates of the International Energy Agency (IEA[1]), energy efficiency measures can contribute some 40% of the CO2 abatement needed by 2050 to achieve emissions reductions consistent with the agreed-upon target to limit increases to 2 degrees Celsius. However, other equally important benefits are often overlooked and are not as systematically assessed as others. A recent report, also by the IEA[2], is designed to address this shortcoming in the literature, explaining the choice of the words ‘multiple benefits’ rather than the usual co-benefits or ancillary benefits, to capture a reality that is often overlooked: “investment in energy efficiency can provide many different benefits to many different stakeholders.”
In particular, panelists will explore the diverse range of policies and measures required to tap into this potential and ensure that different stakeholders receive the benefits, thus enhancing the success of these policies and measures.

[1] IEA, Energy Technology Perspectives 2014, IEA 2014

[2] IEA, Capturing the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, September 2014.