by Brianna Crandall — October 1, 2014—The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced on September 23 a new partnership initiative to accelerate the transition to more efficient appliances and equipment to reduce global energy demand, mitigate climate change, and improve access to energy.
A worldwide shift to energy-efficient appliances and equipment—including lighting, air conditioners, refrigerators, electric motors, ceiling fans and distribution transformers—would reduce global electricity consumption by more than 10 percent, saving $350 billion annually in electricity bills and reducing global CO2 emissions by 1.25 billion metric tonnes per year, calculates UNEP.
“The launch of the Efficient Appliances and Equipment Partnership is a step forward towards achieving a greener energy path at a global scale. The shift to energy efficiency has become an imperative in today’s world where the demand for energy continues to grow. The current fossil fuel-heavy energy system challenges global climate change mitigation efforts,” said UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “Fortunately, energy-efficient technologies, the know-how and policy frameworks required to reduce CO2 emission levels to a level consistent with the 2°C target are available and ready for deployment. This new partnership will help implement and accelerate this process.”
Partners to the Initiative include the United Nations Development Programme, the International Copper Association, CLASP and the Natural Resources Defense Council. It is a public-private partnership that brings together inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, appliance and equipment manufacturers, utilities, international development banks and financial institutions, to provide tailored assistance to governments for the development and implementation of national and regional strategies that facilitate the permanent transition to energy-efficient products.
As in most developing countries and emerging economies, the demand for energy-consuming products is increasing rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean due to the fast-growing urban population. In Paraguay, the stock of domestic refrigerators will double by 2030. In Panama, the stock of air conditioners is expected to increase by 400 percent over the same period. The trend in the region towards increasing electricity consumption and consequently, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, significantly impacts global efforts to combat climate change, notes UNEP.
The new partnership just released a report that assesses the economic and climate impact of cooling appliances in the Latin American and Caribbean region. According to the study, if all the region’s countries were to adopt and implement energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, air conditioners and ceiling fans that feature the best available technology, 140 terrawatt hours of energy could be saved annually—about 11 percent of the region’s current electricity consumption. The Dominican Republic has joined the new program, and another 15 countries in the region have expressed their interest to join.
The new Efficient Appliances and Equipment Partnership builds on UNEP’s successful en.lighten initiative, a public-private partnership that counts 65 countries globally as partners committed to phasing out inefficient incandescent lamps by the end of 2016.
