As part of the 30th anniversary of the UN ECE's Committee on Sustainable Energy, the committee recognized the special achievements and outstanding successes of selected individuals. One of these individuals was Stefan M. Büttner, Director of Global Strategy and Impact at the am Institute for Energy Efficiency in Production at the University of Stuttgart.
Büttner says, "I am pleased with what we have already accomplished with our efforts to support the energy transition in the industrial sector, and I am grateful for the recognition from the UN Under-Secretary General and the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Olga Algayerová, and the Director of Sustainable Energy, Scott Foster."
About the Committee on Sustainable Energy
The Committee on Sustainable Energy is one of the committees that make up the United Nations International Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE). The committee's goal is to provide access to affordable and clean energy for all and to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of the energy sector.
In addition to Büttner, four individuals from the field of energy efficiency were also recognized, including Büttner's colleague Hannes MacNulty, who was at the University of Stuttgart as part of the Erasmus program. Büttner and MacNulty are part of the UN ECE Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency and were elected to the board about five years ago. "We became aware that the energy transition in the industrial sector, and communication between policy makers and those working in the field received very little attention. That's why we took the initiative to make the general public, intermediaries and, above all, policymakers, aware of energy efficiency, and later decarbonization, in industry and to improve understanding and advance this field."
An action plan for energy efficiency
Supported by the EEP intern team, Büttner and his colleague, have developed and are currently implementing an industrial energy efficiency action plan for the UN ECE. The Energy Efficiency Index of German Industry and the resulting Energy Efficiency Barometer of Industry play a key role in this. The two changemakers are currently involved in several events, such as the state government's hybrid event KongressBW in Stuttgart on October 13, that aim to communication ways of achieving climate-neutral business to politicians and industrial partners.
Büttner is using the recognition he has received from the UN ECE as an opportunity to take on new roles in the expert group and the committee, encouraging the task forces and expert groups to take a more integrated approach: "I want to sensitize, encourage and enable industrial companies in the ECE region to successfully tackle the energy transition and climate change in areas such as digitalization, energy efficiency, renewable energies and the circular economy."
UN ECE
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UN ECE is one of five regional commissions that make up the United Nations Economic and Social Council. A total of 56 countries are members. The UN ECE is responsible for questions of economic cooperation in Europe, countries of the former Soviet Union and North America.