Planning for performance

November 25, 2022

Reducing emissions and cutting costs is the impetus for a new government initiative.

The Australian federal government has commenced work to develop a National Energy Performance Strategy.

“For too long, Australia’s efforts at reducing emissions and cutting energy costs have lacked a national plan that will deliver a high energy performance economy,” Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister said at Sydney’s 2022 Energy Efficiency Summit.

“So much of the energy Australians pay for every year is wasted on inefficiency.”

According to Minister for Climate and Energy Chris Bowen, energy-efficiency policies driven by a national strategy will cut energy costs for households and businesses, reduce pressure on the energy system, and help Australia meet emissions-reduction goals.

Australia lags behind international counterparts on energy efficiency and performance. The Climate Change Performance Index (CPPI), an independent monitoring tool presented at the annual UN Climate Change Conference, ranks Australia 59 out of 64 countries for energy performance per capita.

“So much of the energy Australians pay for every year is wasted on inefficiency”

Indeed, Australia was declared the “loser” of CPPI 2022, receiving very low ratings in every category: GHG emissions, renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy.

The government notes that the EU has been progressively strengthening its energy-efficiency targets to reduce costs and meet its 2030 emissions reduction goals. Regionally, countries such as South Korea and Japan are pursuing similar actions.

“We’re acting to put in place a strategy that will help us create a high-energy-performance economy, meet our emissions-reduction targets, and enable us to put downward pressure on energy prices,” McAllister says.