National Energy Efficiency Leadership Network (EELN) (previously called Energy Efficiency Accord)

Last updated: 25 November 2019
The National Energy Efficiency Leadership Network (EELN) was established at COP17 in Durban in December 2011 and replaces the Energy Efficiency Accord. Broadly, the EELN engages the private sector into the NEES and its signatories voluntarily pledge to:
develop a road map for improved energy efficiency, supported by the implementation of an energy management system
develop appropriate internal energy efficiency targets appropriate to company operations and also respond to government policy and strategy,
publicly report on progress towards energy efficiency targets and energy intensity of operations,

The EELN is voluntary and provides a platform for members to establish and implement their own energy management plans, baselines and energy efficiency targets. EELN members will be able to track their own achievements and provide reports to the National Energy Efficiency Monitoring System. An inaugural workshop was held on 6 March 2012. The EELN builds on its predecessor the Energy Efficiency Accord (EEA). At COP 17, 45 companies signed onto the EELN and currently the network consists of 58 companies including Eskom, Chevron, ABB, De Beers, BP and others (for a full list see ). Members of EELN benefit through access to best practices, technical expertise, public recognition, improved understanding of role of energy efficiency, improved competitiveness, and energy cost savings.


In May 2005, following the Governments Energy Efficiency Strategy, a list of commitments was negotiated between both industry and government. The Minister for Energy and Minerals, together with the CEOs from 24 major energy users and seven industry associations, signed the Energy Efficiency Accord, voluntarily committing themselves to individually and collaboratively work to implement the government target for energy savings. Within a framework of eight strategic goals based on the three cornerstones of sustainability, the strategy targets a 15% reduction in final energy demand for the industrial sector by 2015, and a 12% improvement in energy efficiency for the country as a whole by the same date. This target is expressed as a percentage reduction against the projected national energy usage in 2015. Industry signatories agree to: - Promote the development of sector specific strategies and targets that contribute to the achievement of the overall energy efficiency - Promote the use of Demand Side Management contracts concluded with energy suppliers - Develop common reporting requirements for energy usage from all energy sources - Define industry-specific projected energy use in the future, based on Business-asusual (BAU) growth expectations - Use 2000 as the baseline year against which performance will be measured - Establish methodologies allowing for the baseline quantification for energy use/intensity various sub sectors, and to take into account the need to measure specific energy intensity rather than absolute energy use in order to promote industrial growth whilst achieving energy efficiency and recognising the energy conservation measures already in use in some sub sectors; - Establish methodologies to take into account increased production, for the pursuit of improved energy efficiency not to hamper industrial growth; - Develop a generic energy auditing protocol that can be adapted for use by the individual sector and company signatories - Where appropriate, exploit opportunities presented by energy efficiency projects to develop CDM projects The commitment was reinforced when seven more leaders from companies and business associations joined the initiative and signed the agreement in 2006, with three more signatories joining in 2007. An Energy Efficiency Technical Committee (EETC) was established to implement the Accord, and the National Business Initiative (NBI) acts as Secretariat to the Technical Committee. It has developed measurement and verification guidelines, executive guides, an energy management performance ma

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