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“SIMPLY ADOPTING LED IN PLACE OF INCANDESCENT LIGHTING WOULD REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY A MASSIVE 53 PER CENT”In the history of climate change, this year’s record book gives pause for thought. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports that July 2016 was the hottest month since scientists began keeping records in 1880. The planet is heating up at a faster pace than at any time in the past 1,000 years. And that is not all.At the same time, the global population is growing – to almost 10 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations estimates. More people need more resources, especially in cities, where two-thirds of us will live. The combination of these mega-trends poses a stark challenge to humanity. To meet rising demand, we will need to foster new economic models of low-carbon growth. Energy efficiency is the low hanging fruit: an easy win among the raft of measures needed to tackle climate change. Today, energy efficiency improves by about 1.5 per cent every year. Translated into an equivalent reduction in coal-fired power stations, simply doubling the annual rate of improvement in energy efficiency to 3 per cent per year would set us on a sustainable path.Philips Lighting CEO Eric Rondolat calls this “The three per cent Syndrome”. In terms of reducing carbon emissions, greater energy efficiency could deliver fully two-thirds of what needs to be done to meet the bold commitments agreed at COP21 in Paris. This incremental gain in energy efficiency improvement would unlock huge benefits – for the planet, its people, business and society. CONNECTED LEDTo meet the needs of a growing population, we need to consume resources more efficiently. To create successful cities, we need clean energy and smart infrastructure. Fortunately, our response to these challenges is helped by a fourth mega-trend: Digitalization. The transformative powers of connected technologies offer myriad ways to make our world cleaner and smarter. Lighting is a significant part of the answer. By 2030 for example, the global tally of light points will have increased by 35 per cent to 60 billion. Simply adopting LED in place of incandescent lighting would reduce energy consumption by a massive 53 per cent. Intelligent lighting for smart buildings and smart cities can further boost those savings by up to 80 per cent. So connected LED lighting is a form of energy efficiency that pays for itself in cost savings.Bluntly stated, we can no longer afford the status quo. Faster renovation of existing infrastructure is long and urgently overdue. In September 2016, at Climate Week New York City, Philips Lighting issued a joint call to action with The Climate Group and World Green Building Council. To boost energy efficiency in buildings we urged business and governments alike to adopt new targets for the private and public sector:All new buildings to be LED or equivalent energy-efficient lighting by 2020All street lighting to be LED or equivalent by 2025All corporate buildings to be LED or equivalent by 2030WALKING THE TALKShared conviction is a necessary condition for change. By walking the talk – in our own business, Below: The future is now - Meydan Bridge, Dubai INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION 019
