Overview

Policy plays a significant role in shaping energy efficiency outcomes as it guides how energy is used efficiently across the entire economy with aim to drive economic growth by reducing waste and improving productivity, while meeting climate goals and targets.

This can take the following forms:

• regulations and standards: policies can drive regulation and standards, for example setting minimum energy performance standards to reduce consumption across various sectors, and requirements for competent personnel to be appointed to ensure energy is efficiently managed across an organisation
• incentives and financing: policies can offer tax breaks, subsidies, or low-interest loans to encourage industries to invest in energy-efficient technologies. This can lower the upfront cost barrier and accelerate adoption.

The session will feature a panel format, with each speaker given 15 minutes to present. A moderated Q&A will follow.

The discussion will explore three interconnected themes:

• the role of national and regional policy in accelerating energy and resource efficiency transitions
• strategic policy development to catalyse cross-sector collaboration, investment, and innovation
• practical enablers and barriers to scaling action from government, industry, and civil society.

The event targets industry professionals across sectors; policy makers and government representatives; researchers and academics; energy and sustainability consultants, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and advocacy groups.

Speaker

Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at Oxford University, University of Oxford

Jan is Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at the University of Oxford and leads the Energy Programme at the Environmental Change Institute. He is a Jackson Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford. Jan is also a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge and a Senior Advisor at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), where he provides strategic guidance on energy policy and regulation. A leading expert in energy policy, efficiency, and electrification, he advises governments and organisations, including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. His work has shaped key energy and climate policies and featured in The New York Times, Forbes, and the BBC. In recognition of his work he was named the most-read thought leader on the energy transition in 2024.

Jan brings a globally respected perspective on energy efficiency and electrification policy. He will reflect on system-level approaches to industrial energy demand reduction and lessons learned from from EU and UK policy frameworks, regulatory design for electrification, and evolving definitions of efficiency in a net-zero context.

Nii Darko Asante, Energy Consultant

Dr Asante is a former Technical Director of the Energy Commission of Ghana, where he was responsible for the development and enforcement of regulations in the electricity and natural gas sectors, as well as the promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. His previous roles include lecturing at the University of Ghana (where he was part of the team that set up the School of Engineering), and managing the Energy Optimisation business of Aspen Technology in the UK, where he developed tools and implemented solutions for Energy Management and Optimisation at refineries and petrochemical plants all over the world.

He is a Chartered Chemical Engineer with a BSc from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in Ghana and Masters and PhD degrees from the University of Manchester. Since retiring from Ghana’s public service, he consults in the area of energy policy and regulation.

Energy Policy Development – Balancing national aspirations with global realities
The climate change crisis has thrust national energy policies into the limelight as a key reflection of a country’s commitment to climate change mitigation. In the global south, climate commitments are often positioned as an obstacle to national development objectives, and this presentation highlights the tightrope that policymakers must walk to meet these apparently conflicting objectives. 

Giulia Marzetti, Manager, Deloitte Climate & Sustainability

Giulia is a Chartered Chemical engineer. She is currently a Manager at Deloitte Climate & Sustainability, supporting corporations and governments on the green transition. She previously worked at Mott MacDonald focusing on decarbonising major infrastructures in the UK, Australia and North America. She was previously a Project and Policy Officer at the European Commission, were she managed a Portfolio and worked on industrial policy and Horizon Europe.
She is currently a European Climate Pact Ambassador (https://climate-pact.europa.eu/get-involved/become-pact-ambassador_en).

EU innovation policy and industrial systems transformation.
The talk will focus on EU Green Deal's latest policies and implications for the UK, the role of Horizon-funded industrial initiatives, and the need for systems thinking in policymaking.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Oil Gas and Energy Transition Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

09:00–10:30 BST.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.​