APEC group reaffirms work vs aggregate energy intensity

CEBU, Philippines - The Expert Group in Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EGEEC) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to intensify efforts to reduce aggregate energy intensity by 45 percent, based on the 2005 level, by 2035.

The group made the commitment during its 46th meeting at the Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu City yesterday.

Energy intensity is a comparative measure to determine the energy efficiency of each economy (country) calculated as units of energy per unit of gross domestic product.

It a statement, the group said that highly productive economies with manageable weather patterns, and use high energy efficiency appliances and equipment; apply energy efficient technologies in its buildings and industries; utilize efficient mass transport system and fuel efficient vehicles; and adopt energy conservation measures, among others, would likely have low energy intensities.

Cognizant of the number of factors and level of detail to make the aggregate energy intensity figure meaningful, the APEC EGEEC is actively pursuing its Energy Smart Communities Initiatives’ (ESCI) Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP), as a tool to consolidate ideas and best practices, energy efficiency, and low carbon projects to support its four main pillars.

These pillars are a Smart Transport, Smart Buildings, Smart Grids, and Smart Jobs and Consumers.

APEC economies are then encouraged to support the development of this resource (ESCI-KSP) to determine appropriate project proposals that will address the remaining challenges in achieving the APEC leader’s energy intensity reduction goal.

The EGEEC promotes energy conservation and the application of energy-efficiency practices and technologies through advancing the application of demonstrated energy-efficiency practices and technologies, developing and enhancing trade between APEC economies in products and services and energy-efficiency practices and technologies, contributing to international efforts to reduce the adverse impacts of energy production and consumption, and improving the analytical, technical, operational and policy capacity for energy efficiency and conservation within APEC economies. —  (FREEMAN)