Update to IEA Energy Efficiency Indicators Database supports efforts to track energy efficiency

Energy efficiency and its multiple benefits are key for clean energy transitions, supporting countries in their efforts to meet climate goals and increase access to energy services. Governments are stepping up energy efficiency policy efforts, setting more ambitious targets and measures such as minimum energy performance standards.

However, commonly used indicators such as energy intensity are not specific enough to deeply evaluate the role of energy efficiency. This is because this kind of aggregated indicator is determined by many additional factors unrelated to energy efficiency, including economic structure, type of industrial base, exchange rate, affordability of energy services, country size, climate and behaviour. By using disaggregated data in a decomposition analysis it is possible to isolate the impact of energy efficiency and of such factors on total energy consumption.

To support this kind of analysis, the IEA’s Energy Efficiency Indicators Database provides disaggregated energy consumption, emissions and activity data by sub-sector and/or by end use at a country level. The latest database update released today in parallel with the launch of Energy Efficiency 2020 includes annual data from 2000 to 2018 and expanded geographical coverage.

The Energy Efficiency Indicators Database supports countries in their efforts to track efficiency improvements across sectors and end uses – and to create and evaluate energy efficiency policies. The IEA stands ready to build upon this and other existing efforts with countries around the world to collect end-use data and develop energy efficiency indicators.