Major nations agree to launch clean energy initiatives

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jul 20 PTI) The world's top economies
Tuesday agreed to an action plan to improve efficiency of
electricity-guzzlers from televisions to cars in a bid to cut
energy waste at the first clean energy ministerial, including
India here.
The two-day Clean Energy Ministerial, hosted by the US
and attended 24 major economies of the world, including India,
pledged to the launch of 10 international clean energy
initiatives which will cut energy waste, help deploy smart
grid, electric vehicle, and carbon capture technologies.
These initiatives are aimed to support renewable
energy markets, expand access to clean energy resources and
jobs and support women pursuing careers in clean energy.
The new programmes offer partners concrete, technical
actions to promote economic growth while reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other pollutants.
The initiatives by economies making up more than 80
percent of the world's Gross Domestic Product will eliminate
the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants
world-wide in the next 20 years.
"The Clean Energy Ministerial has brought together
leaders from around the world to take unprecedented actions to
deploy clean energy technologies - from energy efficiency to
renewable energy to smart grids to carbon capture. These steps
will promote economic growth, create jobs and cut greenhouse
gas emissions," said US Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
"What we've seen here is that working together, we can
accomplish more, faster, than working alone," he said.
The participating countries represent more than 80
percent of global energy consumption and a similar percentage
of the world market for clean energy technologies.
Launched under the Global Energy Efficiency Challenge,
these projects will cut energy waste around the world by
deploying super-efficient appliances, improving industrial and
building efficiency for large-scale facilities, implementing
smart grid technologies, and helping to put millions of
electric vehicles on the roads.
Under the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance
Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, for instance, governments will
work with the private sector to transform the global appliance
market.
The programme will initially focus on televisions and
lighting - two globally-traded products that together account
for about 15 percent of household electricity use.
Leading experts estimate that international efforts to
improve the efficiency of televisions alone could reduce
energy use equal to about 80 power plants by 2030. PTI