On 28 June, CLASP participated in an international workshop hosted by The China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) with representatives from the BRICS nations. The “BRICS Workshop on Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Standards” built on the alliance’s desire to transition to a greener, lower-carbon, and circular economy, in alignment with the Paris Agreement. CNIS led the session, focusing on how to support other BRICS countries to take maximum advantage of energy efficiency standards in their own climate agendas.

This type of knowledge exchange is critical for influencing world economies and allow countries with different experiences share lessons for effective mobilization. BRICS consists of highly populous countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) with rapidly increasing appliance markets. This shift in energy demand will continue to have an enormous global impact on energy usage and subsequent energy-related emissions. Facilitating the expansion of energy efficiency programs through international partnerships is a key component of quickly reaching our collective climate goals.

CNIS shared their experience with efficiency standards and their role in dramatically reducing energy consumption and associated GHG emissions. They presented their legal and technical framework as an example for further strengthening the existing programs of the other four member countries.

Policymakers from Brazil and South Africa emphasized the importance of CLASP’s role in improving national energy efficiency policy for several priority products. The Research Institute at the Environmental Industrial Policy Centre in Russia also expressed interest in future collaboration on efficiency regulations beyond appliances, like agriculture and industry. Our team will continue to participate in international knowledge sharing among BRICS entities, working together toward a more efficient future.