Energy efficiency

Increasing energy efficiency promotes climate protection and contributes to cost savings and resource conservation.

The expansion of renewable energies and increasing energy efficiency are decisive factors in the fight against climate change. Without these measures, the internationally agreed goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius cannot be achieved. Yet energy efficiency is not only a priority for climate protection reasons. It also conserves resources, reduces pollution and noise, promotes security of supply and saves money. Everyone benefits from this: citizens, communities and states. For the latter, the efficiency measures also make a major contribution to meeting their national climate protection obligations, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The international community has set itself the goal of providing everyone with the energy they require. In view of population growth, the call for efficient energy use is becoming increasingly urgent.

On behalf of the German Federal Government, GIZ advises its partners on areas such as how national authorities can create framework conditions for energy efficiency in all sectors and how efficiency standards can be implemented. It also trains architects, engineers, technicians and civil servants in this field.

Efficiency increases are particularly effective in those sectors where energy demand is highest worldwide: buildings (40 per cent), industry (35 per cent) and transport (25 per cent).

Buildings

The greatest potential for savings here lies in the planning of new, energy-efficient buildings. According to estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA), 85 per cent of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have not yet been built. If architecture is planned in a climate-friendly way from the start, huge energy savings can be achieved in heating and cooling at no additional cost.

The use of local building materials and technologies reduces the energy requirements of buildings and improves their environmental balance sheet. Further savings can be achieved through energy-efficient technologies such as LED lamps and intelligent building technology.

Transport

The aim here is to reduce fuel consumption per transport. This can be achieved through technical improvements, but above all the volume of traffic must be reduced. Urban planning plays a particular role here and must combine living, working and leisure activities in neighbourhoods so that long distances become superfluous. In addition, incentives need to be created to encourage people to switch from cars to public transport or bicycles.

Industry

In many industries, the potential for saving energy has not yet been fully harnessed: waste heat recovery, more efficient production facilities, heat and steam generation including distribution networks, electric motors and compressed air networks are promising improvements.