UNEP has announced a new 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%, saving US$350 billion annually in electricity bills and reducing global CO2 emissions by 1.25 billion tonnes per year.

“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,” he concluded.

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. This new global 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.

More information: laura.fuller@unep.org