In December 2009 I wrote an article for openDemocracy Russia entitled Wasting energy Russian style, an overview of fuel consumption, and how energy conservation might benefit the Russian economy in the future. The issue was a topical one: various international research studies published that year had put Russia near the bottom of the energy efficiency league tables. They calculated, for example, that Russia wasted as much energy as France consumes, and that the energy-saving potential could be as much as 40% of GDP by 2020.
International research studies put Russia near the bottom of the energy efficiency league tables.
These studies were particularly important for the Russian government at the time, since it was planning to increase its energy exports, and the idea that all the energy saved through conservation measures could be sold to other countries was very attractive. Indeed, two factors ensured the inclusion of energy efficiency in the political agenda: external (the more we save, the more we can sell), and internal (lower costs and overheads, more competitive industry).
