(Photo: Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan moderates panel on energy efficiency during the Action Summit at CEM7)

Hosted in San Francisco between June 1-2, the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) was attended by energy ministers from 23 countries and the European Commission that collectively account for 90 percent of global clean energy investment and 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris COP agreement signed in December has set in motion a global shift, and energy efficiency must be front and center. By setting the target of doubling U.S. energy productivity in 2013, the Obama administration showed leadership in the kind of meaningful target setting that can help accelerate the global energy transition. The International Energy Agency estimates that energy efficiency investments are half of the solution necessary to keep global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. We at the Alliance are confident that setting a global target to double energy productivity is the best way to ensure that those investments are made – and to create jobs, improve energy security, and boost prosperity.  

The energy ministers who attended the CEM, led by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz – as well as other high-level delegates including Lisa Jackson, Apple's Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, and Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency – are working diligently to advance a global clean energy transition. The Alliance applauds these global leaders for their vision and efforts.

CEM: Significant Announcements and Commitments

Many significant commitments made at the CEM will significantly contribute to the goal of doubling energy productivity:

• New Global Challenge: Advanced Cooling Campaign: The United States, China, India, Saudi Arabia and Canada were among the governments that launched the Advanced Cooling Challenge, which aims to develop and promote the use of cost-effective, energy-efficient air conditioning and refrigeration equipment through appliance efficiency policies and programs. Improving the average efficiency of air conditioners sold in 2030 by 30 percent could reduce emissions by up to 25 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the lifetime of the equipment and reduce peak electricity demand by as much as 340-790 gigawatts. Additional partners that have signed on to the campaign include Ingersoll Rand, Danfoss, ClimateWorks, Honeywell and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

• New Global Challenge: Energy Management Campaign’s ISO 50001: 15 CEM members are joining the campaign to secure 500001 global certifications to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001 by 2020. ISO 50001 makes it easier for organizations to integrate energy management into their overall efforts to improve quality and environmental management. The United States is launching a new national campaign that accelerates the adoption of ISO 50001 and the national program, Superior Energy Performance, to maximize energy savings in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. Additional commitments to bolster ISO 50001 adoption include partnerships from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Samsung Electronics, Schneider Electric, The Climate Group, and ClimateWorks.

• Global Lighting Challenge: On the one year anniversary of the Global Lighting Challenge, global leaders announced that the challenge has generated commitments to deploy 8 billion highly efficient light bulbs, nearly reaching the original 10 billion bulb goal. As a panel moderator I had the distinct honor of announcing the exciting news that the Vatican supports the initiative. Additionally, the Alliance to Save Energy and Global Alliance for Energy Productivity have officially become supporters of the initiative, alongside Cree, The Climate Group, Philips and others. Achieving this challenge’s goal will save $120 billion in global electricity bills and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Driving Global Clean Energy Innovation and Discussion

In addition to all of the exciting announcements, the CEM was a great opportunity to brainstorm new ideas among the global, high level attendees. I had the opportunity to moderate an engaging panel on appliance efficiency during the Public-Private Action Summit on June 2. I was also privileged to attend the 2016 C3E Women in Clean Energy Symposium, a celebration of C3E’s efforts to shift the status quo and drive innovation by enabling greater gender diversity.

ClimateWorks hosted an event in partnership with the Global Alliance for Energy Productivity, the Alliance to Save Energy, Energy Unlocked and The Climate Group on June 1 in a conversation that convened industry leaders to discuss game-changing energy efficiency technologies and management practices. The event came in the wake of the launch of the EP100 campaign at EE Global and reinforced the importance of private sector leaders to take meaningful action to improve energy productivity within their own operations and help share solutions around the globe.

Last, but certainly not least, CEM coincided with the inaugural Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial. Ministers from the 20 MI countries that have committed to double funding for clean energy research and development met to discuss opportunities and new ideas to accelerate global clean energy innovation. Member countries of this ambitious energy coalition released their respective governments’ plans to double clean energy research and development funding over five years, and also welcomed the European Commission on behalf of the European Union as the 21st partner. The Mission Innovation Ministerial is a promising new body of countries committed to clean energy, and we look forward to seeing this group flourish and expand.