The 2018 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard by ACEEE

Energy efficiency is often the least expensive way to meet new demand for energy. Governments that encourage investment in energy efficiency and implement policies in support of energy efficiency save citizens money, reduce dependence on energy imports, and decrease pollution. Yet energy efficiency remains massively underutilized globally despite its proven multiple benefits and its potential to become the single largest resource to meet growing energy demand worldwide.

 The fourth edition of ACEEE’s International Energy Efficiency Scorecard examines the efficiency policies and performance of 25 of the world’s top energy-consuming countries. Together these nations represent 78% of all the energy consumed on the planet and more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2014. We evaluated and scored each country’s efficiency efforts using 36 policy and performance metrics spread over four categories: buildings, industry, transportation, and overall national energy efficiency progress. We allocated 25 points to each of these four categories and awarded the maximum number of points for each metric to at least one country.

Like the previous edition, this year’s Scorecard gives more weight to policy actions, with the point allocation split 59/41 between policy and performance. Policy metrics highlight best practices implemented by a country, such as national energy savings targets, vehicle fuel economy standards, or energy efficiency standards for appliances and equipment. Performance metrics measure energy use per unit of activity or service extracted―for example, the average on-road miles per gallon (mpg) for passenger vehicles or the energy consumed per square foot of floor space in residential buildings.

Italy and Germany tied for first place, earning the highest overall score of 75.5 out of 100 possible points. Rounding out the top five were France, the United Kingdom, and Japan. France took first place in the transportation category, Japan topped the industry category, and the buildings and national efforts sections were led by Spain and Germany, respectively. The lowest-scoring countries were the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with 18 points and 16.5 points, respectively. South Africa rounded out the bottom three with 23.5 points. Figure ES1 shows Scorecard rankings by country.

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