Energy Efficiency
WEO 2016 CCS: Carbon Capture & Storage
A Closer Look
According to the International Energy Agency (World Energy Outlook, 2016), looking 25 years ahead, assuming the environmental regulatory policies enacted and the government intentions announced as of mid-2016 worldwide are implemented, energy efficiency will have a greater impact on reducing global CO2 emissions than the planned switch to renewable energy sources in that same timeframe. Specifically, energy efficiency improvements will contribute 44% of the total CO2 reduction, while increasing the use of renewables will contribute 32% of the total.
A closer look reveals that the bulk of the opportunity in energy efficiency is in the end-use part of the equation (38% of total energy-related CO2 reduction expected) compared to the supply side which represents only 6%.
Therefore, according to the IEA there is a greater opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions in how we use energy (and waste it) as opposed to how it is produced and supplied. That means our homes, businesses, facilities, institutions, buildings, industries and transportation.
