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    Signify unveils white paper in collaboration with Climate Group

    May 27, 2025 

    Signify unveils white paper with Climate Group, positioning ‘Negawatts’ as critical tool for energy security and decarbonization

    • Signify and Climate Group urge policymakers and businesses to unlock Negawatts1 - the untapped potential of energy savings through efficiency - to meet projected 34 percent rise in energy demand by 2050.
    • In support of COP28 goals, the white paper calls for change and offers urgent, actionable guidance for governments, cities and businesses to double efficiency rates by 2030.

    Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, and Climate Group are urging world leaders to leverage Negawatts, the energy savings unlocked through efficiency, while adding more ‘Megawatts,’ renewable energy capacity, to the grid.

     

    The white paper cites the LED transition in lighting as a tangible path to reduce global energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, two of the most pressing global challenges of our time. By 2030, a switch from conventional to energy-efficient LED lighting could save 1,402 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to nearly $700 billion per year in unrealized savings.

     

    This amount of electricity could:

     

    • Run 300 million heat pumps2
    • Power 349.5 million homes3
    • Match the electricity consumed by 14 million hyperscale data centers4
       

    Converting all homes, businesses and cities from conventional to energy-efficient LED lighting is one of the fastest and least disruptive interventions available today to ease demands on energy grids, unlocking Negawatts.

     

    At COP28, governments pledged to double energy efficiency improvements and triple renewable capacity by 2030. With Artificial Intelligence now expected to double electricity demand by then5, it has become urgent to unlock Negawatts through energy efficiency. Lighting remains a powerful but overlooked solution; by simply upgrading outdated systems to LED, we can rapidly cut energy use and emissions.”

     

    Alice Steenland
    Signify’s Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer

    Despite advances in lighting technologies, at least half of the global lighting stock still relies on outdated, inefficient systems, and lighting alone accounts for 2% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Published today, the white paper “Unlocking negawatts: The role of lighting in energy security and decarbonization” emphasizes that switching all homes, businesses and cities to LED lighting could cut these emissions in half.

     

    Steenland adds: "Signify has already reduced absolute emissions by 60% since 20196, and we're committed to working together with non-profit organizations like Climate Group, governments and business leaders to accelerate the transition away from legacy lighting systems and toward smarter, more efficient solutions. Notably, we’re calling on governments to set bold energy efficiency targets at COP30 and accelerate the shift to smarter, low-carbon lighting.”

     

    With less than six months until COP30, only 10% of countries have submitted their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), of which over one-quarter (28%) do not have energy efficiency measures as part of their plans. The white paper calls on governments, cities and businesses to act with concrete guidance on effective interventions to harness Negawatts. Signify’s call to action is supported by Climate Group, a non-profit working with businesses and governments to drive climate action.

     

    Helen Clarkson, CEO, Climate Group said: “The enormous potential of energy efficiency is underscored by Climate Group’s corporate EP100 members. Combined, they have reduced emissions by 450 million metric tons of CO₂e to date."

     

    Signify has been at the forefront of our energy efficiency work through Climate Group’s Renovation Revolution initiative. In the coming years, global electricity demand is expected to rise by an average of 3.4% annually, and as this white paper explains, facing up to this challenge requires collective action. With commitment and innovation, we can achieve meaningful progress for the planet and future generations.”

     

    Helen Clarkson
    CEO, Climate Group


    1
     'Negawatts' in the context of energy efficiency is a term coined by Armory Lovins, physicist and co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute.

    2 The annual operation of a heat pump requires 4,000 kWh.

    3 Calculation based on one onshore wind turbine generating 6M kWh of electricity annually, enough to power 1,500 homes.

    4 Understanding the energy-AI nexus – Energy and AI – Analysis - IEA

    5 AI is set to drive surging electricity demand from data centres while offering the potential to transform how the energy sector works - News - IEA


    About Climate Group

    Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a word of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organisations accountable, turning their commitments into action. We share what we achieve together to show more organisations what they could do. We are an international non-profit organisation, founded in 2004, with offices in London, Amsterdam, Beijing, New Delhi, and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition.

    For further information, please contact:

    Signify North America Corporation

    Beth Brenner

    E-mail: beth.brenner@signify.com

    About Signify

     

    Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2024, we had sales of EUR 6.1 billion, approximately 29,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for eight consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for five consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

    Meydan Bridge

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