the cost of energy efficiency measures is usually greatly overestimated

More than half of the world’s population now live in cities and they are responsible for 70% of global energy consumption. Up to 50% of a municipality’s energy spending goes to lighting. Making buildings alone energy efficient could save more carbon dioxide than the entire emissions of the transport sector. At the same time, the cost of energy efficiency measures is usually greatly overestimated.

Philips argues that the current rate of renovation of existing infrastructure, based on inefficient 1960s technology or even older, is much too slow. For office lighting for instance, it is only about 6-7% per year. In city lighting, it’s just 3%. At this pace, it will take 30 years before the environmental, economical and quality of life benefits of latest technologies can be reaped.

The partnership between Philips and the World Green Building Council is intended to set up some 100 local taskforces in the coming years, joining forces with other partners such as governments and civil society to aggressively reduce the world’s carbon emissions over the next ten years that are a direct result of buildings and infrastructure.