Fighting against climate change efficiently
How ABB’s energy efficiency expertise is helping the UN to mitigate climate change
This year’s COP conference will begin against a positive backdrop: the pledges made in Paris last year have already been ratified, proving that countries around the world are more serious than ever before about tackling climate change.
I’m really proud that ABB is part of the solution to this huge challenge, through the innovative technology we bring to market. Together with my colleague Olli Mansikka in the Electric Motors business unit, I am collaborating with the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL), a global initiative which aims to double the global rate of energy efficiency. The expert advice from our teams is helping the UN to bring about standardized efficiency levels and a best practice policy guideline that can be used by governments and key decision-makers.
With appliances and equipment such as transformers and electric motors set to account for 60% of global electricity consumption by 2030, ABB has an important role to play, because energy efficiency is at the heart of everything we do. It has been estimated that, if the world were to take full advantage of all of the energy efficient solutions that already exist, we would already reach around half of all emission cuts needed to keep climate change within the critical 2 degree limit.
For example, the installation of the most efficient transformers can reduce losses by up to 60%. And replacing an electric motor with a more efficient model benefits both the customer (through reduced costs) and the environment (through significantly lower consumption).
This year’s COP takes place in Africa, where many countries are looking to develop their economies. For these countries, a focus on energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to sustainable development, because the cleanest energy is the energy we save
Olli and I are dedicated to playing our part in creating awareness, pushing and promoting energy efficiency in transformers and electric motors. The way global society is using resources and compromising the environment should be of concern to us all, but the solutions to bring about a cleaner future are within our grasp. It is up to us to make sure we use them.