ACEEE international scorecard self-scoring tool

Panel: 2. Energy efficiency policies: What delivers?

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Author:
Sara Hayes, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, USA

Abstract

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has released an International Energy Efficiency Scorecard ranking 12 of the world’s largest economies across 27 energy efficiency metrics covering energy use and policies in buildings, industry, transportation, and at the national level. The results of the report made clear that there is significant room for improvement across all economies analyzed. This paper will provide a description of the metrics and key lessons of the International Scorecard and will describe a new self- scoring tool that will allow policymakers, regulators and interested stakeholders to use the 27 metrics included in the Scorecard to score and rank a nation or state that was not included in the original report. The research effort highlighted best practices currently in place and identified areas where improvement could be made in one country relative to another. The report included analysis of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, however important efforts are occurring in European countries that weren’t included in this small group of the world’s largest economies. For example Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands were not included. There are important lessons to be learned in countries outside of Europe as well. The Scorecard also ranked Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, the United States and Russia, however countries such as India, Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea were not included in the analysis. The Middle East, a region with some of the world’s fastest growth in per capita energy consumption, is not represented at all. The ability to evaluate the energy efficiency policies and performance of these nations will benefit leaders by providing them with a benchmark against which they can measure their efforts and progress. Analysis of these additional countries will also illuminate best practices and provide important lessons and information for the global community.