The
signing of Paris Agreement during COP21 in Paris has heralded renewed
commitment for combating climate change. With Paris Agreement coming into force
early this month, it sent a much-needed signal to governments and businesses
that we have to build a new world, and this has to start now. Since energy
production and use account for about 60 % of the total anthropogenic Green
House Gas (GHG) emissions, any meaningful action on honoring the pledge must
focus on deep cuts in these emissions, while simultaneously sustaining the
growth of global economy, boosting energy security and energy for all. As per
International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, of the total reduction in GHG
required for adhering to the 2°C limit, Energy Efficiency (EE) alone would
bring about 49 % reduction. This fact gets reflected in the Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by countries— out of 187 countries,
165 countries have given prominence to EE as an option for meeting their INDCs.
Sustainable
Public Procurement (SPP) has been a flagship programme in the 10 Year Framework
of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP SCP), a global
framework for action to accelerate the shift towards SCP. It is now taking
center stage as nations and business seek to integrate the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) in their strategies and business operations. The
primary objectives of 10 YFP SPP is to promote sustainable consumption and
production by decoupling resource use and environmental degradation from
economic growth. This goal of resource efficiency — doing more with less and
creating more value with less impact — is achieved by embedding life cycle
notion in procurement decision. As such, Energy (as a resource) Efficiency is
very much subsumed as resource efficiency, which 10YFP SPP desires to promote
around the globe.
A cursory glance at successful SPP policies and
programmes around the world indeed shows that improving Energy Efficiency (EE)
has been an essential component of these programmes. In fact, many countries
have developed an EE program first and then transition them to broader SPP
initiatives. One of the key advantages of starting SPP programme with Energy
Efficient products and services is that it not only mitigates climate change
impacts by lowering GHG emissions but also provides economic benefits and competitive
advantages to organizations. Thus, a Government by promoting procurement of
energy efficient products and services can help build business case for
implementing sustainable procurement policy, raise public awareness about
benefits of energy efficiency, strongly influence its citizen’s decision in
favour of sustainable products and services and play a catalytic effect on
market while offering stable demand for new and emerging green technology.
Despite
proven benefits and overarching role that EE could play in mitigating climate
impact in different sectors, it is still considered only as one of the many
goals (such as promoting water efficiency, resource efficiency, recycle content
and minimization of hazardous substance, minimization of waste, among others)
that SPP wants to achieve. 10YFP SPP does not give priority to any particular
goals. And rightly so, because it is up to the organization to prioritize any
particular goal(s), depending on the local context, visibility, impacts etc.
But time has come to rethink this strategy especially when EE has
secured pole position in the climate change and Stainable Development Goals
(SDGs) conversations. This issue is so significant that a dedicated workshop
was held in September this year at UN Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency,
Copenhagen, Denmark, in which professionals from both 10YFP SCP and C2E2 participated. The conversations during workshop could easily recognize the innate
synergy between these two programmes and commonality of purpose. The participants
unanimously gave thumbs up to the idea of these two programmes of UN working
together to achieve greater outcome.
Precisely
for these reasons, 10 YFP SPP needs to suitably raise the profile and
visibility of EE within the programme so as to remain relevant as an instrument
to mitigate climate change impact and meet SDGs. The fact that 165 countries
want to leverage EE to mitigate climate change impact in their
INDCs, prioritizing EE within 10YFP SPP programme makes great sense. By doing
so, 10YFP SPP could emerge as a preferred programme of governments across the
world to fight these challenges. This situation also offers great opportunity
for 10YFP SPP to scale up and spread its footprints in these nations and helps
them realize their goals by supporting the implementation of SPP on
the ground.
