Energy Efficiency and Economic Recovery after COVID-19

Around the world, the Covid-19 crisis has demanded that policymakers grapple with a public health emergency while simultaneously delivering social and economic recovery strategies. Governments have a strong role to play during the recovery in continuing to protect public health while providing economic relief to the most vulnerable and devising ways to stimulate economies, both in the near-term and over the coming years.

The IEA has highlighted how energy efficiency can be a powerful tool for governments to achieve these social and economic objectives during the recovery. For this reason, the IEA has partnered with the Mexican Energy Ministry (SENER) and the National Commission of Energy Efficient Use (CONUEE) to co-host a webinar on the role of energy efficiency in the Covid-19 recovery. This webinar focuses on energy efficiency in this context for the following reasons:

1. Energy efficiency is a source of local jobs, including jobs in the construction sector, one of the hardest-hit sectors of the economy. In many places existing energy efficiency supply and delivery chains can be quickly regenerated, building jobs back up once social distancing measures are eased. And energy efficiency is often tied to local manufacturing of competitive, high-performing equipment and appliances.
2. The Covid-19 crisis is drawing attention to the poor state of housing infrastructure among lower-income households. While this was already a problem before the crisis, lockdown measures have highlighted the need to address the public health effects of poor housing, which is often constructed in the informal sector.
3. Energy efficiency can lower energy bills and help secure affordable access to essential energy services such as refrigeration and space cooling. The introduction of bill payment deferrals and bans on utility disconnections have provided financial relief in the short term. But ultimately, efficient appliances and building design are the most important tools for reducing consumer energy costs equitably and sustainably in the longer term.
4. Energy efficiency is key to the clean energy transition. Particularly in countries with strong population growth, efficiency can reduce energy demand and overall costs, while also facilitating the integration of variable renewable energy and reducing impacts on the wider energy system.

This webinar focuses on recent detailed analysis of how governments are making efficiency a key plank of stimulus packages, creating millions of energy efficiency-related jobs worldwide.

The webinar will be presented by Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency at the IEA. 

Since 2014 the IEA has co-organised a total of 27 webinars in Latin America on a range of energy efficiency topics, as part of the Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies (E4) Programme. These have focused on policies and technologies, the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, Energy Efficiency Market Reports and many other energy efficiency topics. Cumulatively, the webinars have been attended by almost 5 600 people (5 589) from a wide range of backgrounds, sectors and countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay), with more than half of the audience for these in Mexico.

The aim of the webinars is to increase awareness and knowledge of energy efficiency opportunities amongst federal and local governments, academia, private organisations and other relevant stakeholders in key E4 partner countries Mexico and Brazil, as well as other Latin American nations

This webinar will last 60 minutes.

It will include welcome remarks from SENER, a presentation of around 35 minutes from the IEA’s Head of Energy Efficiency, and around 15 minutes of Q&A moderated by CONUEE.

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST / 10:00 am – 11:00 am Mexico City

• Introduction: Ana Lepure, Energy Efficiency Consultant, IEA
• Welcome remarks: 
• Heberto Barrios Castillo, Deputy Minister of Energy Transition, SENER
• Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency, IEA
•  Presentation “Energy efficiency as a key plank of stimulus packages and economic recovery”: Brian Motherway, IEA
• Q&A session: Odón de Buen, General Director, CONUEE