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Energy savings
…increased activity, such as home building and increased home sizes. In the transport sector, most efficiency improvements were realised in passenger vehicles – around one-sixth of the total. These energy savings were higher than the increased demand due to the rising number, frequency and distance of people travelling. Efficiency improvements in freight transport, such as trucks, drove around 1% of the total energy savings. This was lower than the rise in freight transport activity over the same period. Need more information? IEA (2025), Energy End-uses and Efficiency Indicators.IEA (2023), Decomposition of change in IEA total final energy use.
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency
As energy efficiency continues to gain attention as a key resource for economic and social development across all economies, understanding its real value is increasingly important. The multiple benefits approach seeks to expand the perspective of energy efficiency beyond the traditional measure of energy savings by identifying and measuring its impacts in full bloom.
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Energy Efficiency in China’s Buildings Sector
…progress in achieving them. Regulation for new buildings in China, such as building codes, is relatively strong. However, as the rate of construction is slowing, policy priorities are shifting towards retrofitting existing buildings. Here, the IEA estimates that through strong policy action and best-in-class technology, China could reduce energy consumption by up to 65% in buildings constructed between 1995 and 2010, representing energy savings of over 8 000 Petajoules.The report includes examples from across China and the world on leading regulatory instruments, financial incentives, and information-based tools that can drive energy efficiency in the buildings sector.
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business
Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel” because the cheapest and most secure energy is the energy that is not used. For businesses, this begins with a straightforward benefit: lower energy bills. In many cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone. However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings.This report builds on the IEA’s work on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and focusses on how these gains materialise in businesses. Key benefits range from productivity and product quality improvements to brand image or health benefits for employees and…
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Why the growth of energy service companies is uneven globally
…more than 130 energy cooperatives adopted ESCO business models in 2025 – double the previous year. In Italy, where 900 companies are certified as ESCOs, average market revenues increased by over 78% in the past three years.Overall, ESCO markets scale up where policy frameworks are durable, procurement rules are aligned with performance contracting, and projects are implemented through standardised processes. In markets lacking these conditions, high transaction costs, contractual complexity and policy uncertainty continue to limit demand. These barriers are most visible in smaller scale and residential building projects, where ESCO models based on energy savings are harder to implement…
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Gaining an Edge
The Role of Energy Efficiency in Enhancing Competitiveness Energy efficiency delivers more than energy savings and emission reductions – it can also improve the competitiveness of countries and firms. From increased profitability to job creation, energy efficiency helps firms compete amid high costs, growing demand, and rising trade pressures. In today’s global context, energy efficiency is not only a matter of energy policy, but also of economic policy.The report analyses historical progress in industrial energy efficiency and its role in enhancing industrial competitiveness. It includes comparisons of firm-level energy efficiency, identifying performance gaps and opportunities for further improvement. Drawing…
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Affordability
…India, time-saving appliance ownership, such as of washing machines or refrigerators, is associated with a 15% increase of employment among women and an increased school attendance by older children.As people gain access to electricity, they acquire new equipment, often starting with light bulbs, followed by televisions, and finally fans, particularly in hot locations. As available power increases and electricity becomes more reliable, refrigerators are installed as well. For many products, such as refrigerators, highly efficient models use less than half of the energy of inefficient models. Efficiency can thus lead to improved access to affordable energy services. IEA…
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Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has moved forward in the implementation of energy efficiency standards on key sectors and end-uses linked to their energy saving potential. These standards are focused on and the transport and building sectors. For example, new buildings are now required to be insulated.
- Overview
- Energy mix
- Emissions
- Electricity
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+ 5 pages
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Gas Market Report, Q2-2026
…a significant amount of new LNG capacity that had been on track to come online in the second half of this decade. While gas producers are making efforts to increase supply, the demand side is set to play a key role in balancing the market – particularly in Asia, where fuel switching is already picking up alongside energy-saving measures.The current energy crisis highlights the need to further strengthen the architecture of global gas supply security. The International Energy Agency (IEA) continues to support this process, including through the permanent Working Party on Natural Gas and Sustainable Gases Security (GWP).
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business The business value of energy efficiency
…cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone, improving margins and reducing exposure to price volatility.However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings. By improving how equipment, buildings and processes operate, efficiency measures deliver wide-ranging benefits that strengthen business competitiveness across several dimensions: Operational benefits Efficient and electrified equipment operates more reliably and with less stress, improving process stability and reducing downtime. As processes become more precise and optimised, they also require fewer material and resource inputs, generating less waste. These gains result in higher productivity: for every dollar saved on energy…
