Signify unveils white paper in collaboration with Climate Group

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, whilst 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 EUR 600 billion per year in unrealized savings.

This amount of electricity could:

• Run 300 million heat pumps³
• Power 349.5 million homes⁴
• Eight times the electricity used by all U.S. data centers in 2023⁵
   

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.

Despite advances in lighting technologies, at least half of the global lighting stock still relies on outdated, inefficient systems, and lighting alone accounts for 2% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.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 2019⁷, 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, EP100 members have to date reduced emissions by 450 million metric tons of CO₂e, more than the annual emissions of Brazil in 2023. Signify has also been at the forefront of our energy efficiency work through Climate Group’s Renovation Revolution initiative, which seeks to increase renovation rates in Europe's commercial and public buildings."

"Unlocking negawatts: The role of lighting in energy security and decarbonization" is available on Signify’s website.

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.