IEA Outlines Actions to Cut GHG Emissions by 20% per Year
The International Energy Agency has issued 25 policy recommendations it says would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% per year.
The IEA projects global primary energy demand could grow by 55% from 2005 to 2030, raising serious energy security and environmental sustainability concerns.
Global energy-related CO2 emissions, which account for 61% of global greenhouse gas emissions, show no sign of decline. The latest complete data of CO2 emissions indicate a 33% rise between 1990 and 2006. Between 2005 and 2006, all of the growth in these emissions took place outside the OECD region.
The dramatic fall in energy prices in recent months has helped provide breathing space for the depressed economy, but could cause delays in investment in new production, leading to a supply crunch in the medium term as energy demand grows, and slow progress in energy efficiency and the development of cleaner alternative technologies.
By adopting new energy efficiency measures, constructing green energy infrastructure and taking steps to integrate cleaner energy into the power grids, governments can lock in sustainable technologies and reduce CO2 emissions by almost 40% relative to the projected baseline emissions for 2030.
To advance global energy efficiency efforts, the IEA developed a set of 25 policy recommendations that, if implemented, could reduce global CO2 emissions by 20% per year (8.2 GtCO2/yr) by 2030. The recommendations aim to:
- save large quantities of energy at low cost
- address existing market imperfections or barriers
- address significant gaps in existing policy
- encourage widespread implementation
Details are available in the free IEA report Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations.
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