A new UNECE publication reframes the policy question from “What energy efficiency technologies should be implemented?” to “How to design the system so that proven measures are scaled up, maintained and affordable?”.
It firmly positions energy efficiency as a first-order system resource and a cornerstone for achieving a sustainable energy transition and economic viability, and calls for integrated governance in energy, materials and infrastructure planning to maximize economic and social benefits.
The publication outlines:
• Sectoral strategies for industry, buildings and transport to improve efficiency and sustainability.
• Investment solutions to address financing gaps through efficiency-oriented and blended finance approaches.
• Digitalization as a driver for transparency, smart systems and adaptive governance.
• Circularity and resource management for scaling up material efficiency and industrial symbiosis.
• Skills and institutional capacity to empower actors and support a just energy transition.
The publication draws on the findings of the technical, regulatory and policy dialogue of the UNECE Expert Group on Energy Efficiency and offers practical recommendations for implementing system efficiency. It aligns technologies, institutions, finance and people so that the cleanest, cheapest, fastest and perhaps most widely available energy resource – energy avoidance – becomes the guiding principle in building a sustainable, competitive and equitable energy future.
The report concludes with practical policy recommendations and provides an overview of the work of the Expert Group, inviting policymakers and energy professionals to further in-depth research and reflection.