The global energy industry finds itself in urgent need of energy efficiency intervention, in support of preventing the earth from heating up by 4.5 ˚C by 2100, South African Energy Efficiency Confederation (SAEEC) president Lisa Reynolds said during the opening of the SAEEC Conference, on Tuesday.

The global energy industry has changed over time to include energy efficiency initiatives and supporting legislation, US-based Association of Energy Engineers executive director Bill Kent added.

Discussing the driving forces of energy efficiency, he highlighted that the main driver for energy efficiency is a growing population.

By 2040, the global population will reach nine-billion.

Kent pointed out that income per capita will grow by 90% by 2040, and with it, driver greater demand for goods and services, including energy.

The energy consumption increase is anticipated to be between 30% and 50% on a global scale by 2040.

However, meeting that demand will lead to environmental damage.

Kent said 110-million tonnes of man-made global warming pollution is being dumped into the atmosphere every 24 hours, with that heat trapped within the atmosphere and heating up the planet.

The biggest sources of greenhouse-gas emissions are air transport; the burning of fossil fuels for power generation; oil production; forest burning; landfills; industrial processes; coal mining; industrial agriculture; and land transport.

Kent explained that 2014, 2015 and 2016 were among the 16 hottest years ever measured, affecting food crops, animals and people in terms of disease outbreaks.

Oceans are also heavily affected by the extra heat in the atmosphere, causing tropical disturbances, which contribute to more storms and hurricanes.

Kent pointed out that, to improve energy efficiency in the energy industry, governments needed to create new policies to drive the transition to renewable energy sources and more environmentally sustainable transport options, including electric and autonomous vehicles.