Energy efficiency policies in the OECD countries

Abstract

Due to several reasons, ranging from environmental concerns to security of energy supplies, almost every country in the OECD implemented a host of energy efficiency policies. Although each government made its choice as to which kind of measures to take in order to deal with this subject, as well as how they would implement them, all of the analyzed programs fit into five basic categories, given below: (1) restrictive regulations, (2) information to the public, (3) creation of market asymmetries, (4) funding/loans programs and (5) state capital/private capital partnerships. Class 1 programs rely on restrictive legislation in order to ensure that manufactured/marketed products are in accordance with energy-efficiency performance standards. Class 2 initiatives aim at raising public awareness of energy-efficiency issues in order to achieve better market penetration of energy-efficient technologies, adoption of demand-side management and other desirable change in lifestyles and consumer behaviour. Class 3 measures work by tipping the scale in favour of energy-efficient technologies and appliances, either by offsetting economic disadvantages they might initially present or by circumventing any other structural barrier to their adoption/purchasing. Class 4 policies refer to purchasers and energy consumers that otherwise would not be able to make use of energy-efficient technologies because of their high initial costs. The Government gives funding or loans in order to offset this cost. Most of the partnerships in class 5 are research partnerships in which governmental departments set research goals and choose private research projects for financial funding through competitive solicitation processes. Other initiatives under this classification are free-of-charge state consultancy services. There are particular programs that fall into more than one of those ‘families’. Actually, initiatives in the third group are frequently a combination of measures from the first and second groups. Additionally, policies in class 5 are sometimes a mix of class 4 (funding) and 2 (information) measures. A comparative table will be assembled, where: (1) Each country will have its energy-efficiency policies classified as a regulatory program, informative campaign, creation of market asymmetry, funding/loan or partnership, with notes regarding overlapping of classes when it happens. Data will be tabulated with basic policy categories as columns; program names being entered in the proper places for their respective countries. (2) Programs will be described in brief, having their present results summarized or prognostics being given where current data only allow for that (data available August 2001). (3) Programs will be comparatively analyzed in each of the five basic policy categories. The overarching goal of this comparative table is to provide an initial basis for an applicability analysis of such policies to South America, being specifically aimed at the Brazilian energetic sector. It is part of a greater effort to achieve efficient energy use in Brazil.