The Risks and Opportunities of Energy Efficiency at the Vienna Energy Forum

Vienna Energy pic

The Vienna Energy Forum 2011 was held from 21-23 June 2011 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. The Forum addressed the theme, “Energy for All – Time for Action.”3CSEP Director, Diana Urge-Vorsatz participated in the round table discussion, 'Role of Energy Efficiency in Productive Uses.' She gave the presentation, The risks of and opportunities for a significant acceleration of energy efficiency.

The event brought together more than 1200 participants from 110 countries, including former and serving heads of state, ministers, policymakers, experts, and representatives of civil society and the private sector. Organized jointly by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, the Forum focused on energy poverty and increasing energy access in developing countries.

Core themes addressed at the conference included:

  • Agreeing on a common understanding of energy access
  • Agreeing on a strategy to ensure universal access to modern energy services and increase energy efficiency by reducing energy intensity by 40% until 2030
  • Identifying indicative targets and policies in support of these objectives
  • Prioritizing key national and regional actions on energy access and energy efficiency