Roundtable on the Macroeconomic Impacts of Energy Efficiency Improvements

Background

This workshop was the first step in the latest phase of the IEA study on Capturing the Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency – a study which seeks to broaden the discussion of energy efficiency policy as part of wider economic and socioeconomic strategy. The IEA Energy Efficiency Unit began this study by considering the many impacts delivered by energy efficiency, identifying 15 key benefits frequently cited in studies, which merit further investigation. An Insights Paper published in May 2012 provides a preliminary assessment of this topic and these benefits.

The Energy Efficiency Unit is now starting in-depth study of five selected benefit areas –

macro-economic benefits and jobs;
health;
industrial productivity and competitiveness;
energy provider and consumer benefits; and
public budget impacts.

A series of expert round-table discussions focusing on each benefit category will guide this work, in order to share experience, discuss issues and challenges, and identify and assemble good practice approaches for each benefit category. The Roundtable on the Macroeconomic and Employment Impacts of Energy Efficiency will feature sessions focused on issues and challenges of estimating the macroeconomic impacts of energy efficiency improvements at the economy-wide and sectoral levels as well as consideration of the practical aspects involved in using modelling results for policy evaluation. The roundtable will be invited to consider how models such as the OECD Environmental Linkages model, now being used to calculate the macroeconomic impacts of the IEA’s Efficient World Scenario in the just-released World Energy Outlook 2012, can be used to assess the multiple benefits of energy efficiency.

Agenda‌

Thursday, 24th January

Welcome
Didier Houssin, Director, Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology, IEA

The IEA Efficient World Scenario
Timur Guel, IEA

Modelling the global economic impacts of energy efficiency – lessons from the IEA Efficient World Scenario
Jean Chateau OECD Environment Directorate, Climate Change, Biodiversity and Development Division

Macroeconomic impacts of energy efficiency policies Terry Barker, Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Cambridge

Multiple benefits of investing in energy efficient renovation of buildings Sigurd Naess-Schmidt, Copenhagen Economics
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Economy-wide impacts of energy efficiency in Germany Ulrike Lehr, GWS mbH

Modelling the macroeconomic benefits of the Energy Efficiency Directive
Unnada Chewpreecha, Cambridge Econometrics