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ACEEE 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard: Germany, Italy and China at top positions, USA at the tail-end
Europe and China as world leaders in energy efficiency, according to ACEEE's chart. USA still at the bottom, while China stands out in the building sector.
A few days after the World Cup victory, Germany has won yet another trophy, getting once more on the top step of the podium: the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) awarded the Federal Republic of Germany, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the World Cup of Energy Efficiency, putting the country in first position among 16 nations.
The 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard of most developed economies in the world, edited by ACEEE and already available online, measures the Energy Efficiency Performance of 16 nations in the world, which are responsible for approximately 81% of the GDP and 71% of energy consumption, on a global scale.
The group of 16 countries was classified on the basis of 31 parameters, related to 4 main areas: the three sectors primarily responsible for energy consumption in developed economies, such as buildings, industry and transportation, and the individual national initiatives, such as the definition of a target for energy savings or of standards for the fuels used in today’s vehicles, for example. The evaluation criteria considered by the non-profit American organism in order to set its chart rewarded, on a European level, Germany and Italy for their efforts in the industry and transportation sectors, respectively, while China, on an international scale, seems to be marking time in the building field.
"There's really no excuse for the U.S.”, says Peter Welch, the American Congressman from Vermont, hoping that this report, published two years after the first one in 2012 (and almost unchanged for the country since then), could finally stir up the U.S feeling and serve as a wake-up call for America about the importance of reaching the other world powers in the field of energy efficiency, rather than figuring at the tail-end of the ranking, behind countries such as South Korea , India and Australia.
Those of the countries that best know how to exploit their energy resources are the ones to have major economic returns: by reducing costs, protecting the environment and creating new jobs, they gain competitive advantages on a global scale. Needless to say, the fact of producing and transporting the same amount of goods through the use of sustainable energy, therefore at a lower cost, is turning today into a priceless advantage for industrialized nations over other countries, and for their economies as well, since they could increase in strength, flexibility and nimbleness in view of the new challenges that the global market will set.
Great satisfaction is expressed by the Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Philipp Ackermann, who praised the record obtained by considering it as a sort of reaffirmation of the efforts made so far and of the ongoing transition “towards a low-carbon and energy-efficient economy”, also reminding us that "every kilowatt hour of electricity that is not consumed saves on fossil fuels and the construction of power plants and grids".
If the United States do not want to miss the game of saving energy, it is time to follow the example of Germany, Europe and even of their most bitter enemy, China, in order to compete in a global economy increasingly harsh and wild, concludes ACEEE. What about the priorities, then? To set a national target for energy efficiency, to strengthen national model building energy codes and to support educational and training initiatives in the industrial field.
The 2014 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard of most developed economies in the world, edited by ACEEE and already available online, measures the Energy Efficiency Performance of 16 nations in the world, which are responsible for approximately 81% of the GDP and 71% of energy consumption, on a global scale.
The group of 16 countries was classified on the basis of 31 parameters, related to 4 main areas: the three sectors primarily responsible for energy consumption in developed economies, such as buildings, industry and transportation, and the individual national initiatives, such as the definition of a target for energy savings or of standards for the fuels used in today’s vehicles, for example. The evaluation criteria considered by the non-profit American organism in order to set its chart rewarded, on a European level, Germany and Italy for their efforts in the industry and transportation sectors, respectively, while China, on an international scale, seems to be marking time in the building field.
"There's really no excuse for the U.S.”, says Peter Welch, the American Congressman from Vermont, hoping that this report, published two years after the first one in 2012 (and almost unchanged for the country since then), could finally stir up the U.S feeling and serve as a wake-up call for America about the importance of reaching the other world powers in the field of energy efficiency, rather than figuring at the tail-end of the ranking, behind countries such as South Korea , India and Australia.
Those of the countries that best know how to exploit their energy resources are the ones to have major economic returns: by reducing costs, protecting the environment and creating new jobs, they gain competitive advantages on a global scale. Needless to say, the fact of producing and transporting the same amount of goods through the use of sustainable energy, therefore at a lower cost, is turning today into a priceless advantage for industrialized nations over other countries, and for their economies as well, since they could increase in strength, flexibility and nimbleness in view of the new challenges that the global market will set.
Great satisfaction is expressed by the Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Philipp Ackermann, who praised the record obtained by considering it as a sort of reaffirmation of the efforts made so far and of the ongoing transition “towards a low-carbon and energy-efficient economy”, also reminding us that "every kilowatt hour of electricity that is not consumed saves on fossil fuels and the construction of power plants and grids".
If the United States do not want to miss the game of saving energy, it is time to follow the example of Germany, Europe and even of their most bitter enemy, China, in order to compete in a global economy increasingly harsh and wild, concludes ACEEE. What about the priorities, then? To set a national target for energy efficiency, to strengthen national model building energy codes and to support educational and training initiatives in the industrial field.
