24 countries agree to clean energy initiatives

WASHINGTON D.C. - Two-dozen countries agreed in Washington to launch 11 clean energy initiatives that would promote electric vehicles, solar lanterns, smart power grids, efficient appliances and green building.

At the world's first Clean Energy Ministerial, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the programs will spur economic growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He said they'll eliminate the need to build more than 500 midsize power plants worldwide in the next 20 years.

"What we've seen here is that working together, we can accomplish more, faster, than working alone," Chu said as the two-day meeting concluded. The participating countries, including China, India, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Canada, consume more than 80 of the world's energy.

One initiative aims to increase efficiency standards for appliances, starting with TVs and lighting – two globally traded products that together account for about 15 of household electricity use.

To reduce energy waste in buildings, eight companies with more than $600 billion in annual sales and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will develop a program to certify efficiency.

Through sister-city partnerships, the countries aim to deploy at least 20 million electric vehicles by 2020 and reduce global oil consumption by approximately 1 billion barrels over the next decade.

Other initiatives will help promote carbon capture technologies, encourage young women to pursue careers in clean energy and bring solar LED lanterns to more than 10 million of the world's poorest citizens by 2015.

The United Arab Emirates offered to host the second Clean Energy Ministerial in spring 2011, and the United Kingdom offered to host the third one.