The Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency was established on 24 June 2019 at the IEA’s 4th annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Dublin, Ireland. The Commission currently has 23 members and is composed of national leaders, current and former ministers, top business executives and global thought leaders.
With analytical support from the IEA, Global Commission members have examined how progress on energy efficiency can be rapidly accelerated through new and stronger policy action by governments across the globe. It has developed this series of actionable recommendations to support governments in achieving more ambitious action on energy efficiency.
The Commission's work comes at a critical moment in clean energy transitions around the world. Despite energy efficiency's tremendous potential, the world is struggling to capture its full benefits. Global energy demand continues to increase and CO2 emissions are at record levels. Meanwhile, energy intensity – the energy required to produce one unit of global gross domestic product (GDP) – is not improving quickly enough to offset strong energy demand and CO2 emissions growth. In light of these worrying trends, there is a growing recognition by governments and leaders across the globe that efficiency efforts need to be stepped up.
Leo Varadkar became Prime Minister of Ireland in June 2017. He has been a member of Ireland’s parliament, the Dáil, since 2007 and previously held several ministerial positions, including Social Protection, Health, and Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Mr Varadkar recently led the Irish Government in the development of an ambitious new Climate Action Plan with strong targets for energy efficiency, renewables and emissions reduction.
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