Whether it’s your morning breakfast bar or your megabytes, nothing happens without energy. Among the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, #7 refers explicitly to energy; #8, 9, and 11–13 cannot be achieved without energy efficiency/conservation measures in place; and #1–3, 6, 10, 14, 15, and 17 require energy considerations. SDGs #4, 5, and 16 depend on energy to operate the ICT-driven sensors indicating “when, where, and how much needed” for agriculture, industry, services, healthcare, homes, public spaces, and more.

Even with renewables replacing significant amounts of fossil fuel-based resources, the end of their tax holidays/subsidies in many developed economies means that energy efficiency and conservation are more important than ever. To address those issues in the industry and service sectors, the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) is organizing a four-day training course on Energy Efficiency and Conservation  in Tokyo, 22–25 May 2018.

Funded by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the capacity-building program is designed specifically for experts from Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with participants from other member countries expected to attend. The course aims at helping member economies leapfrog the energy gap by showing how increased energy productivity can boost growth while conserving the planet’s resources for future generations.

This training course is the second in the series and will present the outcomes of projects under the Development of Demonstration Companies on Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program in selected countries and share experiences from participating enterprises. Updates on energy conservation laws along with effective ways to promote energy efficiency will be provided.

In the Asian context, although rapid industrialization has been a strong driving force in raising productivity, it has also negatively impacted the environment by contributing to global warming, climate change, and even energy price fluctuations. This makes it crucial to promote smarter, more efficient use of energy in the region, which will also help APO members to transition from carbon-intensive to environment-friendly, sustainable economies.