An Energy-efficiency Strategy for the Twenty-first Century

Energy efficiency is the moderate, economically and ecologically efficient, and socially sustainable use of energy. It depends on changing the ways in which we produce, travel, and consume, and in particular on the use of more adapted materials (better insulation for buildings).

The workshop focuses its proposals on three central issues:
 A change of approach: energy is too often dealt with as the product of a such and such a material (petroleum, wood, wind power, etc.), whereas the real finality is the satisfaction of the needs of families and companies for heat, electricity, cooking, manufacturing materials, etc. Thus education and training programs (in schools, UNESCO activities, etc.) should be promoted in order to situate the satisfaction of energy requirements for sustainable development and quality of life rather than on production requirements.
 Make available financial and human resources to set up organizations responsible for promoting energy efficiency policies at regional, national and global levels (with the creation of a world agency for energy efficiency).
 Promote adapting forms of finance: carrying out a project (building construction, upgrading transport infrastructures, etc.) that incorporates energy efficient materials and designs generally implies additional investment in comparison to traditional projects. Consequently, adapting methods of financing are needed and financial institutions should be encouraged to use them.

Contact

WISE-Paris
31/33, rue de la Colonie, 75013 Paris - France
julie.hazemann@wise-paris.org