The Green Restart is an initiative from Danfoss showcasing how to accelerate economic recovery and achieve sustainable growth by working together on stronger energy measures. Higher energy efficiency is the most effective way to meet our climate goals. Today, it is also one of the strongest factors influencing creating of jobs and the best way to restart our economy towards a sustainable future.
By switching to more energy-efficient solutions, we are reducing our overall energy consumption and reducing our need for additional capacity and investment in renewables. This is our cheapest and most effective way to a long-term success.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has stopped the world for several months, could be a breaking point. It is our opportunity to implement solutions that will help strengthen the economy, create new jobs, start a fair energy transformation and accelerate towards carbon neutrality.
However, there is one condition – while recovering the economy, let ‘s not go back to what we had, but forward to the world we want to live in.
"We have a chance to rebuild the society in a new different way, which will make it more flexible," said Ursula von der Leyen when she presented a new plan to support the economy of the European Union and its individual member states. We have a unique opportunity to implement ecological solutions on a much larger scale, which will lead to lasting transformation and help stop the climate catastrophe.
Restarting the economy and increasing GDP should not be at the expense of the climate. On the contrary, we can grow without increasing carbon dioxide emissions, even achieve a systematic decline. About 80% of global CO2 emissions are generated by three sectors: construction and operation of buildings - responsible for 30% of global emissions, transport - accounting for 25% of emissions, and industry - 20% of global CO2 emissions. The transformation of these sectors and the widespread implementation of modern, efficient solutions and technologies will intensively support the economy and also speed up the achievement of carbon neutrality.
Buildings are responsible for 1/3 of CO2 emissions and about 40% of global energy consumption, of which 80% is used for heating and cooling. The modernization of technical systems of buildings alone accounts for 30% of energy savings, with a 2-4-year return on investment. Higher energy standards for buildings contribute to more comfortable and healthier environment for their residents, cleaner air and minimizing the problem of energy poverty. Doubling the rate of building renovation from the current 1% also means the availability of new jobs - according to the Institute for Structural Research (IBS), accelerating the energy modernization of buildings can generate, for example, only in Poland about 100 thousand of jobs, with unemployment falling by about 0.4% per year over the coming years.
The development of electromobility will also bring a significant increase in employment and create one million new jobs in Europe by 2030. Systematic replacement of vehicles with internal combustion engines (road and water vehicles) with electric ones will enable the implementation of a 28% reduction in emissions necessary to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Electromobility means reducing air pollution and noise levels in cities and ports.
According to the Danfoss Green Restart report, a further 40% reduction in emissions can be achieved by improving energy efficiency and improving industrial processes. Thanks to this, in 2040 we will produce twice as many goods using the same amount of energy.
Energy efficiency is the most important step in achieving energy neutrality. The International Energy Agency's assumptions show that energy efficiency can contribute to a 44% reduction in emissions and the development of renewable energy sources to a further 36% reduction on our way to the climate neutrality. Energy efficiency is not a cost, but an investment. "The current pace of energy efficiency improvement is only 1.2%. We only need to return to the level three years ago, i.e. 3% a year, to generate huge savings. On average, every € 1 invested in energy efficiency will save € 3 over the life of the technology, “ emphasizes Aleksandra Stępniak, the Energy efficiency consultant at the Danfoss Poland.
Climate and economic challenges must be part of the same solution. By investing in a low-carbon economy, we ensure that the jobs we create today will continue to exist in the future. For the transformation to be successful, it must be focused on the energy efficiency of buildings, cities and industry. Electrification and integration of the sector need to be accelerated.
In the past, the most intense developments followed the major crises. Let's not waste this exceptional chance. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is just an omen of what is coming as a result of the increasingly intense climate change. Instead of returning to what we had, let us focus on sustainable development and get to where we want to be and where we want to see our children and grandchildren. Let's treat the Green Earth with the Green restart!