Leading
Industrial Countries Could Reduce Global Warming
Carbon Levels to Near What is Needed, Simply by
Cutting Energy Waste
Improvements would pay for themselves
in just three to five years, get close to a carbon
level that would avert most serious climate effects;
new business and non-profit partnership will work
to promote implementation
WASHINGTON,
D.C., Nov. 14, 2007-An analysis commissioned by
the United Nations Foundation finds that the industrial
nations can save enough energy through increased
efficiency to move the world close to an acceptable
CO2 level, at a cost that would be repaid by the
savings in just three to five years.
A new task force led by The Dow Chemical Company,
the Alliance to Save Energy, and the U.N. Foundation
was announced to pursue such efficiency savings
by the G8 and Plus 5 countries in particular,
and to promote a new annual energy efficiency
summit to measure progress.
The United Nations Foundation released the report,
Realizing the Potential of Energy Efficiency:
Targets, Policies, and Measures for G8 Counties,
today at an industry conference in Washington,
D.C., the “Energy Efficiency Global Forum
& Exposition,” sponsored by the Alliance
to Save Energy. Conference attendees from the
more than 30 countries represented made commitments
to help their countries double energy efficiency
improvements to 2.5% a year, “to save energy,
reduce waste, and make a major contribution to
reducing global warming.”
The report, prepared by a distinguished international
group of energy efficiency experts, finds that:
• Improving annual energy efficiency at
2.5% a year in just the G8 countries -- roughly
double the historical average -- would reduce
G8 energy demand by about 20 percent in 2030,
returning it to 2004 levels and offsetting the
equivalent of 80 percent of the increased energy
supply needs currently projected by the International
Energy Agency to be met by new coal-generated
power plants between now and 2030.
• If energy waste was cut worldwide to that
extent, annual carbon dioxide emissions would
fall by the total amount that the United States
and France together emitted in 2004.
• That would mean the amount of carbon dioxide
equivalent in the atmosphere could be kept below
550 parts per million (ppm) before any additional
measures. That would make more attainable the
goal of keeping the carbon dioxide equivalent
at 400-450 ppm, the range above which scientists
predict unavoidable and catastrophic climate change
effects.
• Globally, an investment of $3.2 trillion
in energy efficiency programs and upgrades would
avert the need for $3 trillion worth of new power
plants and other energy supply investments. The
$200 billion net global investment would be recouped
by increased energy efficiency, improved business
productivity and reduced consumer energy bills
within three to five years, on average.
“Cutting down on wasted energy is the most
powerful way to address climate change, far more
than is commonly recognized,” said United
Nations Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth
in addressing the conference.
Wirth continued, “And energy efficiency
improvements are something we can do right now.
We save money by increasing efficiency with today's
technology. And, doubling energy efficiency would
avoid the need for an amount of energy equal to
2,000 coal-fired power plants. Businesses pay
less to operate, consumers enjoy lower energy
bills, and we avoid a great deal of global warming
pollution.”
The United Nations Foundation joined The Dow Chemical
Company and the Alliance to Save Energy in announcing
they will bring together business and non-profit
leaders to work with energy experts and the G8
and Plus 5 countries, in particular, and encourage
them to:
• Pledge to improve energy efficiency 2.5%
each year;
• Act to adopt plans to meet the goal; and,
• Review progress towards meeting the goals
at an annual government summit. The groups also
announced that they will review the progress of
governments on energy efficiency at each each
annual EE Global Conference and Exposition. The
next EE Global is scheduled for December, 2008,
in Brussels, Belgium.
“I'm convinced that the cornerstone of any
successful energy policy is to set strong efficiency
goals,” said Andrew Liveris, Dow's chairman
and CEO. “There is so much opportunity for
the developed world to become more efficient,
and for the developing world to leapfrog the business-as-usual
development curve. We want to share what we've
learned in the hope that we can accelerate progress
around the world.” Dow's own energy efficiency
program from 1994 to 2005 saved as much energy
as all California homes use in a year.
“This exciting new business and non-profit
partnership will focus the world’s leaders
on deploying energy efficiency as the cheapest,
cleanest, most plentiful and most readily available
resource for both meeting global energy needs
and tackling climate change,” said Kateri
Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy.
The report recommends governments make economy-wide
improvements in energy efficiency. It contains
a menu of 21 proven policy options that governments
can use to improve energy efficiency in buildings
and equipment, industry, transportation, and energy
supply. The report and an executive summary can
be found at http://www.unfoundation.org/energyefficiency/index.asp.
To request an interview
with the authors, please contact Patricia Charles
at 202-536-5798 or patricia@kelleycampaigns.com.
The Dow Chemical Company is a diversified chemical
company that harnesses the power of innovation,
science and technology to constantly improve what
is essential to human progress. Dow offers a broad
range of products and services to customers in
more than 175 countries, helping them to provide
everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals
to paints, packaging and personal care products.
Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability
Dow has annual sales of $49 billion and employs
43,000 people worldwide.
The Alliance to Save Energy, http://www.ase.org,
is a coalition of prominent business, government,
environmental, and consumer leaders who promote
the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide
to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy,
and national security.
The UN Foundation, http://www.unfoundation.org,
was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist
Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to
support UN causes and activities. It strengthens
and supports the United Nations and its causes
through a blend of advocacy and grantmaking with
its sister organization, the Better World Fund;
and, by building and implementing public-private
partnerships that help corporations, foundations,
governments, and individuals to make a difference
in addressing the world's most pressing problems.
