新數據顯示，LED照明、清潔汽車發動機以及智能冰箱在全球的大幅增加，幫助締造了一個每年規模至少為3100億美元的節能市場。
根據國際能源署(International Energy Agency)的一份報告，更為環保的產品正開始對很多國家的能源消耗產生巨大影響。
在該報告調查的18個國家（包括美國、日本、韓國和英國）中，2001年至2011年，終端能源消耗量減少5%，大多是源于能源效率方面的投資。
但能效提高影響最大的領域是家庭領域，從2001年起，能效提高使得家庭能源消耗量下滑了5%。
在接受調查的多數國家中，對電冰箱和洗衣機等白色家電的需求增速不如以前，這些家電在用電方面變得更為智能。
此消彼長，電視、智能手機、個人電腦和其他設備的數量增多，消耗的能源也比以往更多。
不過一些相關政策的推行也在幫助節約能源，這些政策鼓勵用更節能的燈泡（例如節能燈和LED燈）取代較為古老的白熾燈。
日本和美國的科學家本周因發明LED技術共同獲得2014年諾貝爾物理學獎，這種技術讓LED燈遍布全世界。
另一個推動能效提高的因素是燃料經濟標準，這些標準覆蓋全球70%的輕型乘用車市場。
國際能源署表示，這些標準的更廣泛應用，預計將令適用此標準汽車的投資在至少未來5年內達到每年800億美元，燃料成本將節約400億美元至1900億美元。
這是國際能源署就能源效率舉措撰寫的第二份年度報告，也是一項旨在控制二氧化碳排放的潛在努力，科學家將二氧化碳排放的增加視作氣候變化的根源。
這份最新報告發現，與能源效率有關的金融市場規模已達到每年1200億美元，企業環保債券和氣候金融計劃等產品在增多。
國際能源署能源效率和環境部門主管、該報告合作作者菲利普•貝努瓦(Philippe Benoit)表示，盡管能源效率投資總額現在每年至少為3100億美元，但需要投入更多資金將二氧化碳排放量降至科學家認為可避免氣候變化危險的水平。
他表示：“我們估計，未來20年，我們平均每年需要約6000億美元的投資。”
(更多全球資訊請瀏覽中國進出口網)
Global energy saving market worth at least $310bn a year

A surge in LED lighting, cleaner car engines and smarter fridges round the world has helped create an energy saving market worth at least $310bn a year, new figures suggest.
The greener products are also starting to have a measurable impact on the amount of energy used in many countries, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.
Among 18 countries studied in the report, including the US, Japan, Korea and the UK, final energy use fell 5 per cent between 2001 and 2011, mostly because of investments in energy efficiency.
But improved efficiency is having some of the biggest impact in people’s homes, wher it is entirely responsible for pushing down energy use 5 per cent from 2001.
In most of the countries studied, demand for white goods such as refrigerators and washing machines is not growing as fast as it was, while these appliances are getting smarter at using electricity.
This is being offset in some instances by televisions, smart phones, personal computers and other devices that are growing in size and using more energy.
But energy is still being saved by the introduction of policies encouraging the replacement of older incandescent light bulbs with more efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent lightbulbs and LED lighting.
Scientists in Japan and the US were awarded the Nobel Prize for physics this week for inventing the light emitting diode technology that has enabled the spread of LED lights round the world.
Another big driver of improved energy use is fuel economy standards, which cover 70 per cent of a global market for light-duty passenger vehicles.
The growth of standards is expected to drive $80bn a year of investment in these types of vehicles for at least the next five years, the IEA says, saving between $40bn and $190bn in fuel costs.
This is the second annual report the IEA has written on energy efficiency measures, which are among the less visible efforts at stemming the growth of carbon dioxide emissions scientists blame for climate change.
One finding in the latest report is that the financial market for energy efficiency has reached $120bn a year as products such as corporate green bonds and climate finance initiatives proliferate.
While the overall amount of investment in energy efficiency is now at least $310bn a year, even more needs to be spent to bring down carbon emissions to the point scientists say will avoid potentially dangerous climate change, said report co-author, Philippe Benoit, head of the IEA’s energy efficiency and environment division.
“We estimate that on average we need about $600bn a year of investment over the next 20 years,” he said.(更多全球資訊請瀏覽中國進出口網)