KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): The International Energy Agency (IEA) will set up a global exchange hub for energy efficiency to share policies, insights and best practices.

IEA executive director Dr Fatih Birol in commentary on IEA’s website yesterday said energy efficiency is an increasingly important cornerstone of energy policy for governments and industry around the world with significant impacts on global energy trends.

He said if energy consumption growth was slowing in many countries, it was due to energy-efficiency policies that tamper demand growth as more value and productivity is extracted from each unit of energy.

He said this meant economies could grow without witnessing a parallel rise in energy demand.

Birol explained that for instance, the world used 11% less energy last year than it would have if not for efficiency improvements achieved since 2000 – a saving equivalent to the total energy use of the European Union. This is a stunning achievement that no other technology can match.

“Further progress on the efficiency front is critical. Without a central focus on energy efficiency by government and industry, none of our wider energy, environmental and economic goals can be fully achieved.

“At the same time, energy efficiency offers the promise of greater social and economic benefits, but this is a potential that – for now – is mostly untapped,” he said.

Birol said this week, the IEA is hosting its annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, a high-level forum for global engagement and exchange on the topic, with more than 50 countries gathering in Paris.

He said energy ministers from Argentina, Ireland, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates will report on their progress and reflect on the lessons they have learned.

Birol said top business executives and senior government officials from all parts of the world, including all of the G20 countries, will share their insights, with a focus on delivery: how can countries implement policies and programmes that will deliver more of the benefits.

He said the conference, which will be opened by Peter Thomson, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, will be the most significant global energy-efficiency event to date.

“During the meeting, we will detail our plans to expand work on energy efficiency, including building new tools to map and measure polices around the world to create a comprehensive global resource.

“This new Global Exchange Hub for Energy Efficiency will be a unique resource for policy makers to learn what sector-specific policies are being applied around the world, what impact they are having, and what lessons have been learned about their design and implementation.

“It will serve as an online exchange platform where the global community of practice for energy efficiency can learn from each other as well as from the latest research and analysis,” said.

Birol said the IEA will be inaugurating this new Exchange Hub at the IEA's Ministerial Meeting in November, and expects this will be a major resource to all countries interesting in designing and implementing new policies.