News

Publication date: 22 December 2015

The new book Energy Efficiency Market Report 2015 reveals that energy efficiency improvements since 1990 in International Energy Agency (IEA) member countries avoided 870 million tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2014 – and a cumulative 10 billion tonnes over the last 25 years, roughly equivalent to current annual emissions by all IEA member countries.

IEA emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and emissions savings from energy efficiency investments, 1990-2014

Energy Efficiency Market Report 2015 adds to IEA analysis that has shown energy efficiency to be the most effective tool to reduce energy sector carbon emissions, accounting for more than 40% of the required reductions to limit global warming to 2 degrees centigrade. The new findings make clear that energy efficiency improvements have effectively been rolling back the clock on carbon emissions.

As detailed in the report, energy efficiency improvements since 1990 in IEA member countries reduced primary energy consumption in 2014 by more than 760 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Because two-thirds of CO2 emissions come from fuel combustion, this makes efficiency a critical tool for minimising the costs of reducing greenhouse gases. Avoided energy consumption from investments in energy efficiency over the past 25 years also saved USD 550 billion for consumers in IEA member countries in 2014, more than the European Union spent on fuel imports in the same year.

Read more on: Behindenergy.com

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