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| Author: |
UNDP, 2005-12-02
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| Title: |
COP 11 Side Event - The Contribution of Energy Efficiency Standards to Reducing Global Emissions |
| Publisher: |
UNDP / Clasp Online.org, 1 pages
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| Type: |
Press Releases
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| Country / Region: |
Global
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| Categories: |
emission control technologies,
Climate Change
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| Themes/Issues: |
Development
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| Date Posted: |
2006-02-16 |
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A key UNDP COP 11 Side Event "The Contribution of Energy Efficiency Standards to Reducing Global Emissions" was held in Montreal, Canada, on December 2, 2005. This event brought together energy efficiency experts, policy makers and industry representatives. Emphasis were placed on potential economic and GHG emission reduction benefits throught the adoption of energy efficiency performance standards and labelling programs.
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UNDP Press Statement:
UNFCCC SHOULD ENDORSE AND SUPPORT THE GREATER USE OF COST-EFFECTIVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS AS GREENHOUSE MEASURES
End use energy efficiency, in particular for products and buildings, can become the most successful cost effective abatement measure used by each and every country said Brian Dawson, Climate Change Adviser to the United Nations Development Programme. At a side event organized at COP 11 by UNDP, an expert panel demonstrated this claim using case studies from the developed and developing world to over 100 participants.
Global energy efficiency measures, operating with a UNFCCC mandate, offer a real and sustainable way to reduce emissions was a theme emphasized throughout the event and by the International Energy Agency and the International Copper Association.
The potential benefits are huge in both energy and environmental terms but the event heard many of these opportunities continue to fail to eventuate. Institutional and market barriers together with the disparate nature and long lead times required by energy efficiency opportunities mean that decision makers dismiss them in favour of seemingly less amorphous, easier-to-implement measures.
Side event participants agreed that the UNFCCC should signal its strong and unequivocal support for end-use efficiency, as have recent other international gatherings. *This leadership should take the form of policy instruction to the Global Environment Fund and the Clean Development Mechanism to facilitate funding for more regional and global energy efficiency projects said Christine Egan, Executive Director of the Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Programs (a WSSD type 2 partnership) working with developing countries.
Many within the event concluded that if existing international funding mechanisms cannot accommodate these type of projects, then the UNFCCC should consider establishing a new mechanism specifically for energy efficiency. Discussants emphasized the common message that procedural CDM and GEF questions should not stall implementation of energy efficiency measures which need time to deliver real abatement.
Energy efficiency delivers the cleanest and cheapest abatement of all because it avoids all generation and transmission issues said Marianne Osterkorn, Executive Director of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (another WSSD partnership operating in this field).
Prepared by: UNDP / Publisher: UNDP
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UNDP Flyer on the Side Event:
"The Contribution of Energy Efficiency Standards to Reducing Global Emissions"
Friday, 2 December 2005, 1–3 p.m., Le Palais de congrès de Montréal
Minimum energy efficiency standards and labelling are known to be effective means of reducing energy consumption. The last decade has seen an increase in the number of countries deploying these policies, which hold the promise of being among the most cost-effective instruments for reducing future growth in energy demand and, therefore, GHG emissions. However, despite the high potential to reduce GHG emissions at negative cost to society, these important policy tools have not featured strongly in dialogues on GHG emission-reduction strategies to date.
Furthermore, in many countries there are still either no energy-efficiency performance standards or, where they do exist, they are often set well below what is an economically optimal level – namely, the point at which economic welfare gains from avoided energy costs match incremental investments in more efficient energy-using capital.
This event will:
o Highlight the potential benefits of energy efficiency standards and labelling programmes as a cost effective GHG reduction option;
o Provide a comparative overview of minimum energy efficiency performance standards and programmes in selected countries;
o Provide an overview of current initiatives to extend the application of the standards and labelling programmes in developing countries; and
o Identify future options and opportunities for increasing the role of standards and labelling programmes in reducing global GHG emissions.
UNDP has invited the following energy efficiency experts, policy makers and industry representatives to take part in this event:
o Paul Waide - Senior Policy Analyst, International Energy Agency
o Shane Holt - Director, Equipment and Appliances Team, Australian Greenhouse Office
o John Mollet - Vice President, International Copper Association, Ltd.
o Kawther Lihidheb - Agence Nationale de la Maîtrise de l’Energie, Tunisia
o Benoit Lebot - Climate Change Technical Advisor, UNDP/GEF
o Christine Egan - Executive Director, Collaborative Labeling & Appliance Standards Programme (CLASP)
For more information about this event please also read the Earth Negotiations Bulletin coverage at: http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop11/enbots/pdf/enbots1705e.pdf
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