Energy Efficiency in the Time of Covid-19: A vehicle for economic and social relief and recovery in Latin America

Around the world, the Covid-19 crisis is driving policymakers to grapple with a public health emergency while simultaneously devising social and economic relief and recovery strategies. It is clear that governments have a strong role to play in providing economic relief to the most vulnerable, in stemming the economic downturn while protecting public health, and in devising ways to stimulate economies in the near-term and over the next 1-2 years of economic recovery.

This webinar presents the IEA’s findings on the role of energy efficiency as a strategic sector to support economic recovery and improve social well-being. It presents findings from the IEA’s recent report on sustainable recovery, starting with the impact of Covid-19 on energy consumption trends. It explores the role of energy efficiency as a jobs engine in many sectors including construction, industry and transport. Lastly, it focuses on the role of cities as key energy consumers and incubators for innovative solutions to generate jobs while advancing clean energy transitions.

The webinar is presented by Edith Bayer, Michael Oppermann, and Ghislaine Kieffer, energy analysts at the IEA. It is the inaugural webinar in a series dedicated to discussion of energy efficiency in Latin America in the context of Covid-19.