The role of energy efficiency in the decarbonization process

rigbar450

This year, the hurricane season and COVID-19 have shown us the impact that the interaction of these elements can have. The devastating effects of the hurricanes that recently passed through Central America are an example of this. On the one hand, the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events that impact our way of life are accelerating; On the other hand, the prevalence of diseases and the emergence of new viruses point out the fragility of our public health systems, with devastating consequences. Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that losses due to extreme climate events between 2000 and 2013 caused economic losses of USD 52.3 billion and affected 8.5% of the population ( 53.8 million inhabitants).


Additionally, it points out that increases in temperature will cause less availability of water for large cities, food production and hydroelectric generation; plus more flooding; as well as greater C Level Executive List frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and an increase in diseases such as dengue, yellow fever or malaria. The role of energy efficiency in decarbonization Given this reality, the most effective way to adjust is through the adoption of a deep decarbonization development model . This model changes the way of production and consumption.



Although the region only contributes 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there are large areas of opportunity to open up new market opportunities and make our industry more competitive, while reducing environmental footprint of the region. [Yo] According to the IPCC, a condition to reduce emissions is energy efficiency (EE) in industry. The International Energy Agency establishes that if EE measures had not been applied since 2000, CO 2 emissions would have been 12% higher than those registered in 2017. In fact, one of the main areas of opportunity in terms of energy efficiency is the promotion of Energy Management Systems (EnMS) within the commercial, services and mainly industrial sectors.