IEA 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency Chairs’ Statement: Doubling energy efficiency progress this decade

Doubling energy efficiency this decade is crucial to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C within reach, whilst simultaneously addressing energy affordability, access, supply security and climate goals.

A year ago, during the 8th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Versailles, June 2023, 46 governments came together to endorse the goal of doubling the average global rate of energy efficiency improvements by the end of this decade.

This was followed by the inaugural Africa Climate Summit 2023 held in Nairobi from 4-6 September, hosted by the President of Kenya His Excellency Dr. William Ruto. In a high-level event attended by Mr Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy & Petroleum, and Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, discussions highlighted the importance of energy efficiency as the most cost-effective solution for expanding access to clean energy.

During COP28 in Dubai, December 2023, the momentum of these important events was consolidated when governments worldwide called for a “doubling of the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements” this decade.

This historic pledge emphasised the importance of enhanced action on energy efficiency for the world to accelerate the clean energy transition towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, supporting energy security and enabling greater integration of renewables into energy systems.

Doubling energy efficiency progress will need strong and early action to deliver the required investment and technology deployment. With the ambition now set, turning the doubling target into reality requires accelerated action from governments, industry, and other stakeholders around the world to implement robust energy efficiency measures.

According to IEA analysis, while doubling the rate of global energy intensity progress to 4% is a challenging target, it is not an unprecedented level of progress. In the past ten years, 90% of countries have achieved the 4% rate at least once, and half have done so at least three times.

On 21 and 22 May 2024, over 500 participants from 60 countries came together in Nairobi for the 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, opened by His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, Deputy President of Kenya, and co-hosted by IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol and Mr Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy & Petroleum of Kenya.

This was the first time the conference has been held in Africa, in an acknowledgement of the critical role the continent will play in the clean energy transition and Kenya’s strong leadership on energy efficiency in particular. The 9th Global Conference also represents an opportunity to deepen collaboration and unlock opportunities for energy efficiency to ensure a sustainable energy transition in emerging and developing economies.

Over the two days energy efficiency leaders shared their perspectives on best practices in terms of policies, regulations, incentives and information schemes that have driven progress on global energy efficiency trends.

In addition to government leaders, a strong representation from the private sector at the conference led to a focus on the steps that businesses and industry are taking, and the enabling policy frameworks needed for them to support progress towards the doubling goal.

Participants also highlighted a series of sector-based actions that will be key for facilitating larger scale investment and financing of energy efficiency measures. The timing of this conference following the success of COP28 presents a unique opportunity to ensure that global ambition is translated into robust implementation.

As the 9th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Nairobi, Kenya, comes to a close, the co-chairs Mr Davis Chirchir, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy & Petroleum of Kenya, and Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) thank all participants for their continued efforts to raise the profile of energy efficiency in decision making. Looking ahead:

We urge all governments to include or strengthen energy efficiency targets in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), maintaining momentum from COP28 to help meet the global goal to keep 1.5°C within reach.

We recognise the need to move from a global pledge to an action plan, including incorporating energy demand within country energy transition planning and key sectors such as buildings, industry, and transport.

We emphasise the critical role of energy efficiency in achieving universal access to clean, efficient, and affordable energy and clean cooking solutions, in line with key aims set out under Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).

We encourage policymakers to translate ambition into implementation, drawing on the new IEA 2024 Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit.  

We welcome the feedback from the Business Leaders Roundtable on key building blocks around public-private collaboration that would accelerate business action and investment in energy efficiency.

We prioritise unlocking investment in energy efficiency and addressing barriers to financing in emerging and developing countries, coordinating efforts from governments, multilateral development banks, the private sector and civil society.

We urge governments to strengthen efforts to promote universal access to clean energy solutions, including clean cooking, electric mobility, heating and cooling, and investment in smart, resilient and efficient power grids.

We emphasise the importance of regional approaches to strengthening of energy efficiency regulations, including standards and testing for appliances, clean cooking and electric vehicles, and in the development of building codes.

We acknowledge that ambitious implementation of energy efficiency policy requires a focus on skills, training, exchange of best practices and capacity building.

In response to the high-level discussions of the past two days on accelerating action on energy efficiency, the IEA will continue to strengthen its work to provide analysis, advice and monitoring that supports governments, industry, and other stakeholders on robust implementation of energy efficiency policies and measures.

The IEA will also continue to support governments in tracking progress towards the COP28 doubling efficiency goal through a new Energy Efficiency Progress Tracker. This will give increased visibility on the full range of data used in the IEA’s annual Energy Efficiency Market Report enabling users to explore historical trends and the latest estimates on energy intensity and demand benchmarked against the COP28 goal.

We look forward to convening next year for the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency, where the global community will come together again to further the momentum towards the doubling goal.

Mr Davis Chirchir

Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Kenya

Dr Fatih Birol

Executive Director, IEA