{"id":67276,"date":"2025-11-21T11:32:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T19:32:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energi.media\/?p=67276"},"modified":"2025-11-21T11:32:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T19:32:34","slug":"global-energy-efficiency-accelerating-but-well-below-cop28-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energi.media\/news\/global-energy-efficiency-accelerating-but-well-below-cop28-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Energy Efficiency Accelerating, But Well Below COP28 Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global improvement in energy efficiency is accelerating \u2014 but still far from the pace needed to meet 2030 targets.<\/p>\n

According to a new report<\/a> by the International Energy Agency (IEA), global primary energy intensity \u2014 the amount of energy required per unit of economic output \u2014 is expected to improve by roughly 1.8 per cent in 2025, up from about 1 per cent in 2024. The jump suggests policymakers and industry are beginning to make headway. Still, the IEA warns that this rate remains well below the roughly 4 per cent annual improvement required to double energy-efficiency progress by 2030, a goal set at COP28.<\/p>\n

The report notes that although more than 250 new policy measures were introduced in 2025 alone, sluggish progress in sectors such as industry and buildings threatens to drag down the overall outcome. The industrial sector\u2019s energy-intensity improvement rate has reportedly fallen to under 0.5 per cent per year, compared with nearly 2 per cent in the previous decade.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights<\/a> a parallel challenge: despite setting new records for renewable-energy capacity additions in 2024 \u2014 582 GW globally \u2014 the world remains off-track to hit the target of tripling renewable capacity to 11.2 TW by 2030. Equally concerning, efficiency gains remain modest: global energy intensity improved by just 1 per cent in 2024, far behind the 4 per cent-year-on-year improvement required.<\/p>\n

Why improvement matters<\/h3>\n

Energy efficiency is a vital lever: it lowers consumption, reduces emissions, and improves energy affordability. If economies can use less energy to generate the same output, the benefits ripple across security, competitiveness and climate goals. The IEA underscores that \u201cthe power to enhance people\u2019s lives and livelihoods through greater energy security, more affordable bills, improved economic competitiveness and lower emissions\u201d lies in boosting efficiency.<\/p>\n

In practice, though, rising energy demand is working against efficiency gains. IEA data show that global energy demand grew by 2.2 per cent in 2024 \u2014 faster than both the longer-term average (~1.3 per cent) and the rate of efficiency improvement. As a result, the system still becomes more energy-intensive overall.<\/p>\n

Where progress is uneven<\/h3>\n

Some policy progress is visible. The IEA tracked over 250 new policy actions in 2025 aimed at boosting efficiency. Efficiency in emerging economies such as China and India also shows modest upticks as they invest in efficiency standards and technologies.<\/p>\n

But headwinds remain:<\/p>\n