Mexico has moved up on an international energy efficiency ranking of 25 countries.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE, ranked Mexico in 12th place on its 2018 International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, up from 19th on the previous index in 2016.

The non-profit organization also reported that Mexico’s gain was the most of any country on the list.

In 2016, Mexico was awarded 37 points but this year obtained 54, ranking just behind its historic trade partners, the United States and Canada.

The implementation of the National Program for the Sustainable Use of Energy by the federal government was commended in the report in a section called National Efforts Best Practices.

The report said that Mexico having closed the gap with Canada and the U.S. suggested that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) “provides these countries with an incentive to meet the same product standards and implement similar efficiency programs to ensure that free trade in the region is not impeded.”

Mexico improved most in the industry and national efforts categories, noted the report, adding that it had recently enacted mandates for periodic energy audits and on-site energy managers in large industrial facilities.

The document said Mexico was one of several developing countries that have continued to make steady progress in their scores and ranks over the years.

One area of opportunity for Mexico and other countries, the report said, is in the transportation sector. France ranked the highest in that category with a score of jus 17.5, while most countries, Mexico included, earned fewer than 10 points.

The Scorecard explained that many countries’ transportation systems focus heavily on roads and personal vehicles rather than on more energy-efficient and sustainable mobility options like public transit.

The report stated that Mexico has many opportunities to enhance its national efforts to continue advancing in the rankings. The country could benefit from an increase in energy efficiency programs and research and development expenditures.

“Moreover, Mexico can consider taking advantage of the tax code as a powerful tool to motivate investment in energy efficiency technologies,” said the report.

The index examines the efficiency policies and performance of 25 of the world’s top energy-consuming countries. It used 36 metrics to evaluate each country’s national commitment to saving energy as well as its efficiency policies and performance in the buildings, industry and transportation sectors.

In this, the fourth edition of the report, Germany tied with Italy for top spot with a score of 75.5 out of 100. The average score obtained by the 25 countries was 51 points, the same as in 2016.

The report concluded that “all the countries we evaluated have clear opportunities to save more energy. Efficiency will also be key to meeting international climate commitments. Nations can learn from one another by emulating the best policies, practices, and performance featured in the Scorecard.”

Source: El Economista (sp)