Energy efficiency is climate action

The industrial sector is vital to achieving and maintaining a sustainable society. Heavy industries account for the vast majority of industrial emissions, and just steel, cement, and chemicals for more than half of industrial energy use and 70% of industrial emissions [2]. However, there is ample opportunity here to ensure energy is used only when needed. This can be achieved with highly efficient technologies that already exist today, such as a variable speed drive (VSD). 35% of all motors in the EU can benefit from a variable speed drive, and with a full implementation, energy savings of 121 TWh could be achieved [3]—a saving equivalent to 10% of the EU’s 2030 energy efficiency goals.  Additionally, if manufacturers were to install heat exchangers, they could produce more while using less – and even reuse energy by sending surplus heat back into the grid to warm our homes. 

The transport sector is still reliant on fossil fuels, procuring nearly 91% of its energy from oil – a 3.5 percentage points decrease compared to the early 1970s [4]. But electrifying transport does not just mean switching to renewable energy; it also means increased energy efficiency. 

For example, gas engines waste between 64% and 75% of the energy to convert power to movement, while the drive system of an electric vehicle reduces this loss to between 15% and 20% [5]. With heavy machinery and passenger ferries starting to go hybrid or fully electric, electrification is helping businesses achieve their green goals while lowering the total cost of ownership. 

The world is on course to build the equivalent of New York City every month for the next 40 years [6]. For every new square meter built, greenhouse gases are emitted during construction as well as when a building is heated, cooled, or filled with white appliances and devices. 

Today, buildings account for nearly 26% of the world’s energy-related emissions [7]. If we are to turn the tide, every square meter of new floor space needs to function using less energy. That means taking action anywhere we can. For example, by shifting a building’s energy consumption to the most economical period, digital flexibility solutions can ensure up to 20% savings in a building’s energy costs [8].