With world energy prices and climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions ballooning in tandem with a surge in energy demand from the hot economies of China, India and Brazil, the world has a major stake in the success of energy reduction efforts, particularly in those three countries, warn experts concluding a four-year international project.

Without significant gains from energy efficiency efforts, China, India and Brazil within a single human generation (by 2030) will more than double their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in major impacts on global energy markets and climate. However, experts estimate that cost-effective retrofits could reduce those countries' energy use today by at least 25% and advanced technologies could reduce their energy use growth projected through 2030 by at least 10% (and reduce projected CO2 emission growth by 16%).

Unlocking today's potential savings requires simple, highly cost-effective renovation projects to identify and eliminate energy waste. The keys are fostering corporate awareness, supporting catalyst energy efficiency practitioners and enlightening commercial banks to ease access to local financing for such projects.

"Improving energy efficiency for existing buildings and other infrastructure could cut current energy consumption by 25% or more in India, China and Brazil, amounting to millions of tonnes in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and hundreds of millions of dollars in energy savings," says Robert Taylor, a World Bank Lead Energy Specialist and leader of the 3 Country Energy Efficiency Project (3CEE).

Conclusions from the project were captured at a conference in Paris May 19-20 involving the project's public and private sector partners. An executive summary of those conclusions will be published online May 29.

Despite the huge potential, it has been difficult to achieve investments on the ground so far, the project summary concludes.

"Many energy effic
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Contact: Terry Collins
terrycollins@rogers.com
416-538-8712
UNEP Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development
29-May-2006

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