Energy leaders launch efficiency partnership.

• Author: Block, Ben
• Position: EYE ON EARTH - International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation - Brief article

In May, energy ministers from the world's largest economies formally launched the first high-level body focused exclusively on advancing energy efficiency worldwide. The International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) seeks to elevate energy-efficiency advice to a level that affects policymaking.

"There's been a growing desire for international collaboration on energy efficiency," said David Rogers, director of strategic planning and analysis for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "[The IPEEC] fills a gap in international collaboration at the decision maker level."

The partnership was first proposed in 2008 by the G8 countries (the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, and Canada) along with China, India, and South Korea. Brazil and Mexico have since joined the partnership as well.

Among its early actions, IPEEC will inventory member nations'...