Thematic session: Driving energy efficiency for a competitive industrial sector

Event background

In today’s context of energy market volatility and economic uncertainty, energy efficiency remains a key tool to advance affordability, energy security, and competitiveness. The 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency will bring together global leaders to accelerate action, with industrial energy efficiency central to reducing energy use, emissions and strengthening competitiveness.

Industry is a major driver of energy demand and economic growth. Efficiency improvements have enabled higher output with lower energy use, delivering cost savings, and productivity gains. Today, industries produce nearly 20% more value per unit of energy than two decades ago. In the G20, output has doubled since 2000 while energy use rose by only 60% as a result of efficiency gains delivering savings.

The recent slowdown in industrial efficiency progress risks weakening competitiveness. Industry has accounted for around 80% of global energy demand growth since 2019, while energy intensity has remained largely unchanged. Significant untapped potential remains across both heavy and light industry sectors, with light industry representing half of global industrial value added and two-thirds of jobs. At the same time, global investment in energy efficiency has increased by 150% since 2015, creating new opportunities for firms that both produce and use energy efficiency technologies.

The challenge for policymakers is therefore to accelerate uptake by addressing implementation barriers and strengthening regulatory frameworks. This also requires closer collaboration between governments, industry and finance, and integrating efficiency into industrial strategies.

This thematic session offers practical insights into how energy efficiency can strengthen industrial competitiveness. Participants will learn from policy and business experience, explore enabling frameworks and partnerships, and engage with stakeholders to identify actionable solutions.