The UK has ranked first in energy efficiency among the 12 largest economies in the world, outstripping Germany, Japan, the European Union and the United States, according to a report released last week (11 July) by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The rankings, which are modelled on the ACEEE’s previous comparative measurements of energy efficiency among US states, measured both ‘policy metrics’ (e.g. national energy savings targets, fuel economy and energy efficiency standards) and ‘performance metrics’ (energy use) to reach their conclusions.
“I welcome today’s publication of the first International Energy Efficiency Scorecard by ACEEE”, said Edward Davey, British Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. “Energy efficiency sits at the heart of our policies to encourage low-carbon growth, and I am particularly pleased that the UK is ranked first of the 12 economies considered by the study.
“Making our buildings and industries more energy efficient is a significant challenge, one that will take years to meet; doing so cost effectively will mean drawing on the experiences of others. This study is a fascinating collection of best practice, setting out the innovations which can accelerate economic growth, enhance energy security – and save our households and businesses money.”
The ranking scorecard particularly emphasised the cost-effective dimension of energy efficiency, something that should be taken advantage of, according to report author and ACEEE Senior Researcher, Sara Hayes: “While energy efficiency has played a major role in the economies of developed nations for decades, cost-effective energy efficiency remains a massively underutilized energy resource. Fortunately, there is a lot countries can do to strengthen their economic competitiveness through improvements in energy efficiency.”
The report, though a boon for the UK, still showed significant areas for growth and improvement among all 12 countries measured.
“Unfortunately, our results show that nowhere is the vast potential for improvements in energy efficiency being completely realised”, ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel said. “While many countries achieved notable success, none received a perfect score in any category – proving that there is much that all countries can still learn from each other.”
The country rankings, according to the ACEEE report are:
1. United Kingdom
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Japan
5. France
6. the European Union, Australia, and China (three-way tie)
9. United States
10. Brazil
11. Canada
12. Russia
Between them, these countries represent more than 78 per cent of global gross domestic product, 63 per cent of global energy consumption, and 62 per cent of the global carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions.
The full report can be accessed on the ACEEE website.
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