Appliance efficiency policies slashing emissions

International alliance, CLASP (Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program), has just released an annual report which shows that 18 appliance and energy efficiency policies the organisation supported across the globe in 2025 are expected to mitigate 4.6 Gigatonnes (Gt) of CO₂ by 2050.

CLASP was launched in 1991 by the Alliance to Save Energy, the International Institute for Energy Conservation, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. It has evolved into a global not-for-profit with offices in Brazil, Europe, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and the United States.

The organisation’s annual report identifies energy efficiency as a key element of climate, energy, security and livelihood strategies.

Ahead of COP 30, CLASP lobbied for appliance and equipment efficiency standards to be included in national targets for emissions reduction, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the terms of the Paris Agreement.

It created a Net Zero Appliance NDC Toolkit and also provided direct support to governments including Australia’s.

The result of the combination of lobbying, capacity-building and direct engagement is 90% of all NDCs submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Secretariat include appliance and energy efficiency policies.

The report says its activities over 2025 also resulted in more than 30,000 people experiencing improved health and livelihoods via access to efficient, solar powered appliances and equipment.

In Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria, the Productive Use Financing Facility made it cheaper and easier for entrepreneurs, farmers, and small businesses to buy solar-powered appliances and equipment, driving economic growth and job creation.

In India, where 90% of households rely on fans as their only form of space cooling and the population is significantly exposed to extreme heat, CLASP partnered with government and private sector partners to drastically improve fan efficiency, availability, and affordability. This incorporated significant effort supporting small and medium enterprises to improve their production capacity.

In addition, CLASP experts supported policy work including seven policy updates in China that will address equipment including compressed air systems, refrigerators and water pumps. These policy shifts are expected to deliver emissions cuts of nearly three Gt of CO₂ by 2050. In India, support for policies relating to space cooling appliances are expected to cut 1.2 Gt CO2 by 2050.

“Appliance and equipment energy efficiency is a triple-win for people, planet, and prosperity,” Christine Egan, CEO of CLASP, says.

“In a time of multiplying global crises, it stands out as a durable climate solution and key element of smart decarbonisation strategies. It also creates jobs and improves livelihoods, enhances energy security and food system resilience, and helps people adapt to a changing climate.”

Read the full annual report and find out more about CLASP’s work here.

---