ATHENS, Greece – Investments in energy efficiency programs will lead the way for the world’s de-carbonized energy future.

This was held as a common position among global energy regulators and players as they fleshed out strategies toward bringing down the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions – in the midst of near-term demand growth projections to satisfy the needs of a growing population.

United States and Europe have laid down aggressive investment blueprints and strategic approaches on pursuing energy efficiency initiatives, including technology applications. Nevertheless, the developed world concurs that collaborative efforts are needed to achieve ambitious goal of reversing current trends of colossal emissions contribution of the energy sector.

The developing countries, seen cornering the chunk of demand growth until 2050, are similarly expected embarking on commitments for energy efficiency programs to pare down their GHG emissions, with China’s action set in sharp focus.

Christopher Jones, Director of Renewable for DG Energy of the European Commission, said energy efficiency will become ‘truly a high economic priority”, necessitating the crafting of action plans as a way to track and measure progress in meeting goals.

While many countries are working on instituting array of energy efficiency initiatives, more binding commitments are required toward transitioning into low-carbon energy systems.

Utilization of less energy by making the system more efficient is seen as the ultimate key, in terms of reducing the energy sector’s contribution to emissions of toxic gases.

In the Philippines, among the approaches instituted by government is winning its case for residential consumers to switch their lighting use from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps; encourage retrofit programs for buildings and commercial establishments and application of more efficient technologies in energy projects, among others.

Elsewhere, parallel energy efficiency ventures are also getting aggressive push. Yet, in the United States, California is gearing up to take the lead. The State made grand commitments to three-year energy efficiency programs which commands an allocation of $3.1 billion from 2010 to 2012. This will require the participation of its utilities, namely Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas and Electric Company; San Diego Gas and Electric Company; and Southern California Gas Company.

Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), noted in her presentation at the World Forum on Energy Regulation in Athens, that the energy efficiency programs “implements the goals of a long-term energy efficiency strategic plan to make energy efficiency a way of life in California…”