The health of citizens is the first priority for governments responding to the COVID‑19 pandemic, but the need to limit the economic impacts of the crisis is also of great concern. Many governments are considering how to stimulate their economies once the pandemic is brought under control.
In these efforts to safeguard economic stability, energy efficiency has a strong role to play in boosting jobs and economic growth while also supporting clean energy transitions around the world. Energy efficiency actions can support the goals of economic stimulus programmes by supporting existing workforces and creating new jobs, boosting economic activity in key labour-intensive sectors, and delivering longer-term benefits such as increased competitiveness, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy affordability and lower bills. Governments can deliver stimulus at scale and speed by leveraging existing programmes and standardising designs, eligibility criteria and contracts; choosing shovel-ready options for retrofits and technology upgrades; and considering how energy efficiency can be built into all government stimulus programmes. To read the full brief, refer to the IEA website.
