Energy consumption– less is more

• GIZ intends to reduce the energy we consume by 10 per cent per employee in Germany and by 20 per cent outside Germany by 2025 compared with 2019. To promote sustainable development, GIZ also intends to make greater use of renewable energy.
• The installation of PV systems at 25 locations in partner countries from 2021 to 2023 has also been included as a target in the Sustainability Programme 2021–2025.
• The total energy consumption and the energy mix varies widely between GIZ in Germany and our operations abroad. In Germany, our energy consumption figures cover electricity and heating/cooling energy. In our partner countries, fuel for company vehicles and generators accounts for a large share.
• Energy consumption at GIZ’s locations in Germany mainly involves the use of heating and cooling energy and electricity. Heating and cooling energy alone accounts for just over half of consumption.
• However, power supply remains precarious in many of our partner countries, making emergency generators indispensable. In Germany, generators are only used to supply emergency power during maintenance work on the power grid.
• • You can find more information on the management approach under ‘2 Protection of natural resources’

• Almost all the power used at GIZ locations in Germany is green. In 2022, some 95 per cent of the electricity used was generated from renewables. The consumption of conventional electricity stems from the use of spaces shared with other tenants, such as reception areas and lifts in leased properties. Wherever possible, we are replacing conventional light bulbs with LEDs at all locations. We are also optimising ventilation systems to save power. The Meander Building and Campus Forum in Bonn both have a geothermal and a PV system.
• As a general rule, GIZ measures electricity consumption at all locations where GIZ staff work in our partner countries. Since most countries do not yet generate enough on-grid electricity from renewables, we cannot achieve the same percentage of green electricity supplied to our offices outside Germany as we do in Germany. However, GIZ is looking at where and how it makes economic and environmental sense to use PV systems in our locations abroad. Since the target was set, the number of country and project offices installing or planning to install PV systems has been steadily increasing. Energy efficiency measures are an important aspect: the lower the basic electricity demand, the better the chances of meeting demand in the event of power outages with appropriately dimensioned PV systems and also of reducing the use of diesel generators for peak loads. This is also associated with greater energy security for GIZ locations in fragile contexts. Energy efficiency and renewable energy therefore complement each other.
• PV systems were installed at several locations in our partner countries in 2022, for example in Peru and Togo.
• Many locations in Germany switched to using biomethane for heating in 2021. Furthermore, some sites in Germany are using geothermal heating and cooling systems. An energy-saving campaign was also carried out in Germany to raise staff awareness of this topic. The campaign was part of the legally stipulated energy-saving measures and in some cases went beyond the legal requirements. The use of renewable energy is also being stepped up at some locations, for example by installing heat pumps and PV systems. This is accompanied by energy-efficient refurbishments such as better insulation.
• Mobility: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant decrease in fuel consumption for cars abroad since 2020. In order to keep fuel consumption low in the future, options for a company-wide vehicle pooling system are being explored. The idea is for cross-project procurement and use of vehicles to become standard practice.

• GIZ achieved the goal set out in the Sustainability Programme related to PV systems in 2021; in 2021 we had 29 locations equipped with PV systems, and 34 in 2022.
• Electricity consumption in our locations in Germany in 2022 was roughly 7 per cent down on the previous year, whereas it rose by 8 per cent abroad. Our worldwide electricity consumption in 2022 was about 12 per cent below the 2019 level.
• Our locations in Germany and abroad vary enormously in terms of heating/cooling energy consumption. Overall, energy consumption for heating and cooling in 2022 was 21 per cent down on the previous year. Consumption per employee in Germany was 1,901 kWh in 2022, which represents a decrease of around 20 per cent due to energy-saving measures. Outside Germany, where heating systems are available in only a few countries or are partly based on electricity, the absolute value is lower. 2022 also saw a decrease from the previous year: to 219 kWh per employee, which is a drop of approximately 32 per cent.
• The proportion of renewable energy in Germany decreased slightly to 56 per cent because a great deal of energy was saved at the various locations in absolute terms. The share of green electricity is around 95 per cent.
• Mobility: The greatest difference between Germany and other countries is the direct energy consumption resulting from vehicle fuel and generators. These two factors play a secondary role at GIZ locations in Germany. Vehicle fuel accounted for 36,309 kWh in 2022 in Germany, whereas consumption outside Germany was 43,728,348 kWh. This is primarily because the number of vehicles at locations abroad is significantly higher. While GIZ only had 11 motor vehicles in Germany at the end of 2022, the total for all other countries was 3,216, of which 57were fully electric or hybrid vehicles (28 electric vehicles and 29 hybrid vehicles). Roughly 550 new vehicles were purchased for use abroad in 2022, of which seven were electric vehicles and four were hybrid vehicles.
• The absolute energy consumption of motor vehicles fell by about 5 per cent in 2022 compared with the 2019 base year.
• Generators: Fuel consumed by generators abroad has now risen by about 80 per cent to roughly 11 per cent below the 2019 base year. This is because in 2022 the grid power supply at some locations became so unreliable that the use of generators was widespread. Beyond this, specific environmental data were obtained for the first time from the GIZ offices in Iraq, which are located in compounds for security reasons and depend heavily on generators. Overall, the consumption of generator fuel has risen by about 44 per cent compared to the 2019 base year.

[11] Due to improved data quality, these figures differ in part from previously published data.

[12] This is an estimate based on missing data.

[11] Due to improved data quality, these figures differ in part from previously published data.

[12] This is an estimate based on missing data.