International Energy Saving Day

Globally, our hunger for energy has been growing exponentially for decades. Our energy requirements are set to double again by 2060. We consume the most energy in the electricity generation, transportation and heating sectors. Energy Saving Day is celebrated internationally on March 5 as a reminder that saving energy contributes to climate protection, but also helps to save money. This applies to individuals as well as to politics and industry. We urgently need an energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energies. At the same time, we need to curb our hunger for energy and increase our energy efficiency.

Energy demand Austria

According to Statista, our energy demand in 2022 was 1,066 petajoules. 508 petajoules were produced in the country. The rest (i.e. 52%) had to be imported. The energy was generated in 2022 at

• 34% from renewable energies including biomass (2%) and
• for the most part (66%) by fossil fuels
  • 37, 8% Crude oil
  • 21.8% Natural gas
  • 7.7% Coal

Saving energy has many advantages

"Saving energy not only protects the climate and nature, but also saves a lot of money and increases security of supply. This will also make Austria less dependent on fossil fuel imports from conflict regions in the long term," says WWF energy spokesman Karl Schellmann.

According to an analysis from 2022, a significant reduction in our energy consumption is also possible in the short term. In the medium term, Austria's energy requirements can even be reduced by 45%.

According to the WWF, the greatest potential lies in

• in the area of transportation,
• in the building sector and
• in companies

- For example, through greater use of waste heat in industry, the installation of an alternative heating system, accelerated, long-term financed building refurbishment or a lower speed limit.

The example of Brau Union Österreich: "We are constantly reducing our overall energy consumption through various measures that we consistently implement. These include green electricity, the continuous replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energies, efficiency measures in production, packaging and logistics, as well as in the area of cooling at the customer's premises," explains Gabriela Maria Straka, Director Corporate Affairs & ESG Sustainability at Brau Union Österreich.

The WWF's energy-saving package also lists numerous measures.

What each individual can do

There is also plenty of potential for saving energy in the private sector. Around 85% of energy consumption is used for heating and hot water. The remaining 15% is accounted for by a household's electricity consumption. More than a quarter of electricity consumption is attributable to information technology, such as televisions and laptops, closely followed by refrigerators and freezers, which are generally known to be major power guzzlers. Some of the ways to save energy include

• Switching to an alternative heating system
• Replacing energy-hungry household appliances
• Avoiding standby mode
• Building renovation measures such as replacing leaky windows and doors and thermal insulation
• Internet use and video streaming are also energy guzzlers that we are often unaware of - for example, one hour of video streaming produces an average of 400 g of greenhouse gases.
• Switching to public transport

pro.earth and energy saving

You can already find a lot of information and instructions on this topic on our platform under our motto #handelnstattreden:

• You can use the search function to search for and find individual articles, for example on energy-saving refrigerators and much more.
• In our challenges you will find some energy-saving measures that you can easily implement!
• Our "Saving energy at school" project is already being implemented in many Austrian schools.

Event tip Conference on the topic

The time is ripe for the energy transition! Price volatility, geopolitical instability and the climate crisis highlight the importance of the energy transition. A strong impetus in all sectors is crucial for ensuring energy security and sustainability.

The World Sustainable Energy Days 2024 will show how the ambitious political goals can be implemented and the markets for clean energy strengthened.

"Over four days, the Energy Transition and Climate Neutrality Conference will offer delegates six dedicated conferences, including the European Energy Efficiency Policy Conference, the European Pellet Conference, the Industrial Energy Efficiency Conference and the Smart E-mobility Conference," the organizers said on their website.

We need to get a grip on our enormous hunger for energy - this will not only protect the climate and nature, but also increase security of supply because it will make Austria less dependent on fossil fuel imports from conflict regions," explains Karl Schellmann, energy expert at WWF Austria. We can fully endorse this in terms of content.