The U.S. ranks near the bottom of the second annual International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released Thursday by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.
Germany topped the list, and China, Canada, and India all outperformed the U.S. in the study of the world’s 16 major economies. Only Russia, Brazil, and Mexico came in below the U.S.
According to the report (PDF), “the United States has made limited or little progress toward the goal of using energy more efficiently in recent years.”
The U.S. is one of only two countries included in the study that does not have a national energy savings plan. In addition, its investment in energy efficency R&D has dropped, and the number of vehicle miles traveled per person in the U.S. “far exceeds the VMT by people anywhere else in the world.” In fact, the U.S. ranked second-to-last in the transportation sector, which measures everything from fuel-efficiency standards to use of public transit.
Germany, on the other hand, received high marks for its comprehensive national energy strategy, building codes, and committment to increasing efficiency within the industrial sector.
Philipp Ackermann, deputy chief of mission at the German embassy in Washington, D.C., said:
“Our long-term goal is to fully decouple economic growth from energy use,” Ackermann told reporters on a press call.
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