Eight of the top ten countries that show the largest energy efficinecy improvements since 2000 are European, with all except Switzerland covered by the European Union’s Energy Efficiency Directive. The difference in improvement rates before and after 2008 also highlights the impact of policy developments, particularly in China, where the influence of the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans is seen via a 16% improvement in the efficiency effect since 2008.

Although improvement in the efficiency effect in the United States has been slower than that in China and nine European countries over recent years, efficiency progress commenced long before 2000, particularly vehicle fuel efficiency standards, a major driver of efficiency gains, which have been in place since the 1970s.

Source: Energy Efficiency 2017

5 October 2017