A new report on how the world's major powers use electricity found that Japan ranks fourth out of the top 12 countries in energy efficiency. While this result is not bad, it is still not good enough.
Inefficient use of energy poses a serious obstacle to economic recovery as money that could be used in meaningful areas is instead wasted on energy. The government and the private sector must do all they can to increase energy efficiency.
The new report, from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, looked at the world's 12 largest economies, which account for more than 78 percent of global gross domestic product, 63 percent of global energy consumption and 62 percent of the global carbon footprint.