Sustainable use of energy Introduction

Energy is an essential element to maintaining the lifestyles that we are used to: from living and working environments through transportation and communication to leisure activities. At the same time, the burning of fossil fuels for energy is a major source of air pollution - approximately 80 % of total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) are energy-related. The build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been identified as a likely contributor to climate change, causing for example increasingly frequent extreme weather events, loss of species, or sea-level rise. These have enormous impacts on humanity, through loss of lives, property, livelihoods and thus hindering economic and social development. On top of that, due to the uneven distribution of fossil fuels over different regions, Europe is dependent on imported oil and gas to fulfill its energy needs. This dependence makes the EU highly vulnerable to changes in the supply or in prices. Energy security, therefore, coupled with climate change considerations call for the reevaluation of energy use and point to the need of Europe ensuring the sustainable use of energy.

In recent years, climate change and energy policy have made it to the top of the political agenda. In December 2008, the EU adopted an integrated energy and climate change policy including three ambitious targets for 2020: cut greenhouse gases by 20 per cent (30 per cent if international agreement is reached), reach 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources and increase energy efficiency by 20 per cent. The current discussions about the possible establishment of a new directorate-general in the European Commission, responsible for energy and climate change also emphasize the interconnectedness of the different faces of the energy debate.

At the same time, more and more businesses are discovering the benefits of going beyond regulatory compliance towards sustainability. Increased energy efficiency will reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also decreasing operating, manufacturing, and consumption costs. Moreover, by adopting sustainable practices, companies have been able to gain a competitive edge and increase their market share, since consumers have increasingly demanded that goods and services are produced by companies with environmentally and socially sound policies. Looking to the future, we can see that these structural changes will be considered business-as-usual, and those failing to address the sustainability 'demand' will inevitably lose out in the long run. 

In addition, in the current context of the economic crisis, investment in energy efficiency, new clean technologies and innovative products and services can represent an opportunity for the creation of new markets and new employment opportunities.

At the kind invitation of the Spanish Standardization Institute (AENOR), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) dedicate the topic of their Annual Meeting to 'Sustainable Use of Energy'.

Standardization can help promote best practices, support innovation, help the deployment of new technologies and provide authorities and companies with the tools to design sound policies, optimize installations and systems and improve energy efficiency. The different sessions of the conference are designed to assess and debate the different options where standards can contribute to an easier transmission to the sustainable use of energy in all levels of our societies.

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