General News
Philips Backs Action to Save 98% Energy From Wastages
The ‘2015 Energy Productivity and Economic Prosperity Index’ launched on Tuesday revealed the huge potential for societies to raise economic performance and extend significant environmental and social benefits through improved energy productivity.
The Index, authored by The Lisbon Council, Ecofys and Quintel Intelligence and commissioned by Royal Philips, is the first global report to rank countries by their energy productivity, based on their economic output per unit of energy consumed.
The report warns that the current rate of energy productivity improvement, around 1.3% worldwide each year, is too slow to keep pace with the rising energy demand.
The report finds that most energy productivity gains will need to come from improvements to residential and non-residential buildings.
A simple illustration of energy productivity is boiling an egg, where only 2% of the energy consumed goes into producing the boiled egg.
Similarly, nearly 98% of all energy we use in the process of production is being wasted.
Just by increasing the use of technology today, such as energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting and insulation, European households could reduce their energy bills by a third.
Furthermore, overall energy consumption in the EU could be cut by 35% by more than doubling the rate of the region’s energy productivity improvement from close to 1.5% to 3% per year by 2030.
“Within the range of energy efficiency opportunities, LED lighting is a key contributor in addressing the soaring energy demand of the future as it already can deliver a 500% energy productivity improvement in average households. And by connecting LED lighting to sensors, apps and controls, even greater efficiencies may be realized. It is dramatically changing the way people experience and interact with light at home, at work and in their cities”, said Harry Verhaar, head, Global Public and Government Affairs at Philips Lighting.
According to the High-Energy Productivity Growth Scenario presented in the report, nearly 12 European households could be lit with a 1000 KWh of electricity, which is roughly what it takes to light two households today.
Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, added: “Energy efficiency is a powerful instrument for job creation with great potential for stimulating economic growth and EU competitiveness. Energy productivity provides us with an excellent framework to harness underutilized resources. I welcome the publication of this report. It will help us in coming years in using innovation to drive efficiency and improving Europe’s performance in this key area.”
The report urges policymakers to set more ambitious targets to improve energy productivity.
It demonstrates that high levels of energy efficiency will contribute to global economic growth: doubling energy productivity could create more than 6 million jobs globally by 2020 and reduce the global fossil fuel bill by more than EUR 2 trillion by 2030.
To achieve this, further progress in the world’s six largest economies – the US, Russia, China, Japan, India and the EU – is most important as they account for 60% of global GDP and 65% of global energy demand.
“World leaders are convinced that energy is the golden thread connecting economic growth, increased social equity and a healthy environment, but we still need to enforce more ambitious goals to improve energy productivity”, said Kandeh Yumkella, UN Under-Secretary-General and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All. “This report helps to focus minds on these goals and their benefits. Doubling of the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030 is our shared objective, underpinned by the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform launched by the UN last year.”
Global Energy Productivity Highlights:
• The Index ranks countries by the amount of GDP they produce for every unit of energy they consume. This differs from energy efficiency which means using less energy to deliver the same service.
• Hong Kong topped the list with an energy productivity of EUR 456 billion of GDP per exajoule (one quintillion – 1018 – joules) consumed. Cuba came second, boasting EUR 365 billion GDP per exajoule. Columbia, Singapore and Switzerland made up the top five.
• The United Kingdom is ranked 26th, behind countries such as Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, Gabon, Philippines, and Albania. Other leading nations trailed further behind with Germany placed 35th, the Netherlands 40th, Japan 51st, France 56th and India 72nd.
• The United States, which has pledged to double its energy productivity by 2030, comes 87th. China placed 111th and Russia 114th– both countries with energy productivity well below the world average of EUR 143 billion.
The 2015 Energy Productivity and Economic Prosperity Index was published at The 2015 Energy Union Summit convened by the Lisbon Council on 17 February in Brussels, a week before the launch of the EU’s Energy Union.
The project, highlighted as a priority by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker – aims to ensure security of supply for Europe, create deeper integration of EU national energy markets, reduce energy demand, and cut carbon emissions.
The 2015 Energy Productivity and Economic Prosperity Index is an effort to gauge the efficiency and effectiveness with which energy resources are being used worldwide.
Energy productivity is defined as the volume of services or products that can be generated per unit of energy and different from energy efficiency, which measures the inverse – i.e. how much energy is needed to produce a given level of output
Royal Philips is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting.
Also Ecofys, established in 1984 with the mission of achieving “sustainable energy for everyone,” has become the leading expert in renewable energy, energy and carbon efficiency, energy systems and markets as well as energy and climate policies.
And Lisbon Council for Economic Competitiveness and Social Renewal is a Brussels-based think tank and policy network. Established in Belgium in 2003 as a non-profit, non-partisan association, the group is dedicated to making a positive contribution through cutting-edge research and by engaging politicians and the public at large in a constructive exchange about Europe’s economic and social future.
Quintel Intelligence is an Amsterdam-based energy modelling and research firm that assists governments, companies and institutions around the world in determining and quantifying their long-term energy strategies.
Quintel believes that a better understanding of energy systems and connected food and water systems will help society deal with current and future challenges.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has explained why kidnappers and terrorists are not always traceable despite the country’s expanding digital identity infrastructure.
NIMC explanation pointed to a simple but significant gap in the system.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general of the agency said that: “A lot of the time, you find out the kidnappers use the phones of the people they have abducted, which means how do you trace them because they are not using their own phones?” she said.
Coker-Odusote spoke during an appearance on Channels Television, where she was asked to explain why criminals remain difficult to trace despite the mandatory NIN-SIM linkage policy.
She said criminals frequently frustrate investigations by using mobile phones belonging to their victims, instead of their own registered lines.
“We already know the NIN is the foundational identity for the security architecture, but a lot of the time, you find out the kidnappers use the phones of the people they have abducted. Which means, how do you trace them because they are not using their own phones?” she said.
She also suggested that some criminal elements involved in kidnapping operations may not even be captured in Nigeria’s identity database.
“There is a theory that it may be possible that these kidnappers are not Nigerians and are brought into the country 48 or 72 hours before a kidnapping takes place specifically for that purpose. I’m not insinuating anything, but if that were the case, they naturally would not be captured in our database,” she added.
The comments have revived questions about whether expectations placed on the NIN-SIM linkage have exceeded what the system was designed to deliver.
The NIN-SIM linkage exercise was introduced by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with NIMC to strengthen identity management, eliminate anonymous SIM ownership and support national security.
Over the years, the exercise resulted in millions of subscribers linking their SIM cards with their National Identification Numbers, while telecom operators also deactivated millions of lines that failed to comply with regulatory directives.
Earlier, the NCC maintained that the policy was aimed at improving the integrity of Nigeria’s SIM registration database, strengthening identity verification and supporting security agencies in criminal investigations.
The regulator also described the exercise as an important component of the country’s digital economy and national security framework.
Telecommunications operators have consistently maintained that while they play a critical role in implementing the NIN-SIM linkage policy, they are not responsible for tracking criminals.
Quest Merchant Bank recently hosted the second edition of the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission, reaffirming its commitment to fostering a high-performance workplace culture and advancing people-centric leadership practices.
The Study Mission serves as a collaborative learning platform that brings together Great Place to Work® Certified organizations to exchange insights, share best practices, and strengthen workplace cultures.
The event welcomed Human Resources leaders and representatives from FITC, Princeps Credit Systems, Tonic Technologies and Esentry Limited for an engaging and insightful session focused on building thriving workplace cultures, promoting continuous learning, and advancing employee-centric practices that drive organizational success.
Speaking at the event, Tolulope Dayo-Peters, Head of People Management, emphasized the importance of continuous learning and collaboration in building sustainable workplace cultures.
“We are delighted to host the second edition of the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission. At Quest Merchant Bank, we believe building a great workplace is an ongoing journey rooted in trust, purposeful leadership, and a genuine commitment to our people.
“We are pleased to share the practices that have shaped our culture and look forward to more opportunities to learn and collaborate with like-minded organizations.”
Also speaking at the event, Afolabi Olorode, Acting Managing Director/CEO, Quest Merchant Bank Limited, highlighted the critical role workplace culture plays in driving long-term business success.
“We recognize that a strong workplace culture is fundamental to sustainable business success. Creating an environment where our people are empowered to grow, innovate, and perform at their best enables us to consistently deliver value to our clients and stakeholders. We are proud to support initiatives like the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission that encourage organizations to learn from one another and collectively raise the standard of workplace excellence in Nigeria.”
The Study Mission reinforced the importance of collaboration among organizations committed to creating exceptional employee experiences.
By providing a platform for open dialogue, peer learning, and the exchange of practical ideas, the initiative enabled participants to explore innovative approaches to employee engagement, organizational culture, leadership development, and talent management while strengthening a growing community of employers dedicated to workplace excellence.
Hosting the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission further strengthens Quest Merchant Bank’s position as a thought leader in workplace culture and talent management.
It also enhances the Bank’s employer brand and demonstrates its unwavering commitment to creating an environment where employees can grow, innovate, and achieve their full potential.
Quest Merchant Bank remains committed to championing initiatives that promote learning, innovation, and people-centric leadership. Through strategic partnerships and knowledge-sharing platforms such as the Great Place to Work® Nigeria Study Mission, the Bank continues to contribute to the advancement of exceptional workplace cultures and the future of work across Nigeria’s corporate landscape.
Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) has warned of possible floods in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Borno states within the next seven days.
According to information posted on NIHSA X handle, the Agency announced medium flood advisory in force for the next 7 days across Adamawa, Bauchi, and 11 other States.
“Localised inundation is forecast along the main channel; named communities below sit on the projected footprint. Stations: Saminara on the Karam river, Waya Dam Site on the Waya river, Amber on the Amber river.
“Adamawa; Lemsa, Lamurde, Numan Exposure: 147 comm. 49 schis 40 hith 6 mkts17 relig. Bauchi-Bauchi, Ningi, Shira. Exposure: 4 comm. Kaduna; Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, +6 more. Exposure: 1 comm.
“Borno-Gubio, Mobbar. Exposure: 680 comm. 8 schls 6 hith 5 mkts 21 relig. Edo-Akoko-Ed, EtsakoEa, EtsakoWe, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmw, OviaNort, OviaSo.. Exposure: 3 comm.
“Imo-Aboh-Mba, Oguta, Ohaji/Eg, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri West. Exposure: 3 comm. 7 more states affected and severity LGAs”.
NIHSA advised people in the affected areas to “do NOT cross flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water on foot or by vehicle.
“Clear drainage channels and river-mouth blockages; avoid building or living in the floodplain and move people, livestock and valuables from the floodplain to pre-identified higher ground,” NIHSA stated.
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