Posts filed under 'Events'
A global awards ceremony at the December COP11/MOP1 meeting on climate change in Montreal was based upon independent assessments undertaken by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors.
The winners were Dupont, (Low Carbon Leaders of the Decade) Johnson and Johnson, (Greatest Annual Percentage GHG Reductions) ST Electronics, (Low Carbon Corporate Governance) Toyota, (Low Carbon Technology Innovation) HSBC Bank, (Low Carbon Finance and Investment) Germany, (National Governments) Manitoba, Canada (State/Regional Governments) Woking, UK (City Governments).
January 5th, 2006
This webconference, in the context of the public consultation on the Green Paper on Energy Efficiency, focuses on system aspects.
This is where one of the largests potential energy reductions can be achieved, but at the same time the area most difficult to address, since it relies on the right mix of regulation with user education and motivation. Buildings are just one type of systems to be considered. One could also look at manufacturing systems (including motor systems), cities (urban planning) or competition between energy carriers (electricity versus gas).
Relevant questions from the Public Consultation for this session: 8, 9
To enroll
January 2nd, 2006
Claude Mandil, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, highlighted the importance of emissions trading mechanisms, energy efficiency, and technology development in a strategy to transform the world’s energy systems at the Montreal Climate Change conference on Friday. Earlier in the year he had said:
“if OECD households chose more efficient appliances, they could save 30% of the power consumed by OECD appliances. There is also significant potential for energy savings in transport, buildings and industry (including coal-fired power plants), especially in developing economies.
That is not all. Energy efficiency is a policy with double or even triple dividends. While reducing CO2 emissions, it improves energy security of supply as well and, when available at zero or negative costs, it contributes to economic growth. For example, oil saving can help ease the pressures in the oil market by slowing demand and, according to our analysis, help to dampen oil prices by up to 15%�.
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December 13th, 2005
A summary of the discussion dd Dec 9 on outreach, with as panellists Hans Nillson (4-Fact), Jean-Philippe Denruyter (WWF) and Hans De Keulenaer (ECI).
The session focussed on question 12 of the Green Paper: what can be done to inform the public? And at which level (international, EU, national, regional, local)?
Main discussion points:
Split responsibilities
Are the responsibilities at national level too much divided to set out a coherent policy? In many issues, the Ministries of energy, environment, economy, finance and consumer affairs are involved. An energy efficiency policy can only be successful if it incorporates the supply side as well as the demand side in one coherent plan. This becomes very difficult if responsibilities are split.
How to deal with the mass media market?
We live in an information age. People are continuously overwhelmed by communication messages. 99% of these messages stimulate people to consume. Is it in such circumstances possible to effectively disseminate a message to save energy? Yet if we want to reach factor 2, 5, or 10, a fundamental change in the consumer’s behaviour will be necessary. In the current market climate, that does not seem feasible.
Anti-smoking campaigns offer a good example on how to handle this issue. A first step in those campaigns was to imply a message on cigarette publicity that smoking harms health. The second step was to ban all publicity on cigarettes. In a third step, a message that smoking harms health was obliged, and later on this message was made larger and stronger. A similar step by step plan could be drawn for discouraging products with poor energy efficiency.
Another way of dealing with the information overkill is to deliver tools instead of pure messages. Good examples are the Topten and Eugene campaigns that actively help consumers in making their choice. For such actions, cooperation with companies should be possible, combining their resources with the image value of such a grassroots campaign.
Expand labelling
The European energy labels (A++,A+,A-G) for domestic appliances have been a success. They have even been adopted by several non-European countries. It would be a good idea to expand this type of labelling to other domains, like transport (e.g. cars), food, travel, electrical energy (green or not)…
Expand successful programmes
Local programmes that have proven their success, like the Topten and Eugene websites of the WWF, should be adopted by the EU to expand them over Europe with increased resources and publicity.
Introduce energy audits for private consumers
In contrast to industrial energy consumers, the private consumer is largely unaware of how to reduce his energy consumption. So in fact, energy audits like they are performed in industry would be even more useful in private dwellings. How could they be introduced?
The role of utilities
Before liberalization, utility companies had in many countries the obligation to inform on energy efficiency. It is a pity that during recent years, this information channel was lost.
December 10th, 2005
The European Sustainable Energy Forum is described as bringing together the Commission, Member States, the European Parliament, national energy regulators and representatives of European industry and NGOs. The next meeting is planned for April 2006, principally to discuss the Commission’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan, which will be worked on from March.
Will the Forum succeed as a platform for the whole energy sector? Is there a need for a further initiative, which would include other crucial components of the energy efficiency spectrum?
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These include consulting engineers, energy management consultants, the suppliers and installers of high technology plant and equipment.
Many are relatively small independent businesses, run on professional lines. They are often preoccupied with day-to-day project management, and not traditional participants in broadly based activities and events.
One measure of the way in which the energy efficiency industry suffered in the 1990s is provided by an analysis of public sector financing of energy R&D in the OECD.
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November 23rd, 2005
The only event yet planned in the UK to discuss the Green Paper is being held on 24th November 2005. The organisers are the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, a network with about 400 members spanning energy suppliers, professionals such as architects and surveyors, central and local government, financial institutions, consumer standards and voluntary organisations, together with manufacturers of products including boilers, water heaters, lighting and appliances.
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The Partnership aims to achieve energy efficiency in homes and alleviate fuel poverty through engaging cooperation and collaboration within the supply chain for energy efficient products and services. The four main topics being discussed will be the draft Energy End-use & Energy Services Directive, traded appliances & other products, implementation and extension of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and White Certificates.
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November 18th, 2005
The Energy Efficiency Green Paper will be mentioned at an international conference on Energy Efficiency to be hosted by the UK, under its joint Presidency of the EU and the G8, in London on 2-3 November 2005. The main points of focus will be global actions to promote product standards and labelling, cooperation and learning from each other, and motivating citizens across the world to take action and reduce the impacts of their own energy consumption.
Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) have been invited.
October 25th, 2005
Commissioner Piebalg closed the first Amsterdam Forum considering it an important meeting as it is the first structured consultation where Member States, European Parliament and stakeholders are gathered.
He referred to the Green Paper that sets out an ambitious goal and starts from the assumption that by 2020 we can save 20% of our current energy consumption in the European Union, in a cost-effective way. Energy efficiency improvements will continue in the future to make a major contribution to alleviating Europe’s security of supply problem and to improving competitiveness …
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October 16th, 2005
The Forum is organised by SenterNovem under the authority of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.
The forum held its first meeting on 13 and 14 October 2005. It will serve as an arena to discuss the latest EU policy developments in renewable energy and energy efficiency issues.
Website of the Amsterdam forum >>
October 14th, 2005