Munters champions energy efficiency at global IEA conference

Klas Forsström, CEO of Munters, joined global business leaders at the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) annual conference on energy efficiency this week to advocate for stronger policies and investments in energy efficiency. 

He was interviewed by the conference media partner We Don't Have Time on why energy efficiency matters to Munters , its customers and society.

See the full interview here: 

The two-day event, co-hosted by the European Union and held from June 12–13, brought together representatives from over 90 countries to accelerate industrial decarbonization and sustainable growth. 

The conference featured a ministerial roundtable chaired by IEA Executive Director Dr. Fatih Birol and European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen. Government officials and policymakers discussed strategies to scale up energy efficiency initiatives worldwide. 

In parallel, industry leaders, including Klas Forsström, participated in focused discussions on overcoming barriers to implementation. These sessions explored both the challenges and the transformative potential of energy efficiency in driving climate action. 

The discussions were chaired by the Energy Efficiency Movement (EEM), a non-profit coalition which aims to raise awareness and promote the adoption of energy-efficient technologies across industries. 

As part of the conference, Forsström signed the “CEO Commitment” letter, an initiative by the EEM. The letter underscores the private sector’s role in advancing energy efficiency and calls for a doubling of energy efficiency progress this decade.  

The conference came just weeks after Munters announced that its emissions reduction targets have been officially validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company has set an ambitious dual goala clear ambition: to double in size by 2030 while simultaneously halving its carbon footprint. 

“The majority of our emissions come from our installed base,” said Forsström. “Our biggest opportunity to contribute to climate action lies in improving the energy efficiency of our products and encouraging our customers to transition to renewable energy sources or invest in energy efficiency.” 

Munters is already making great strides by continuously optimizing its dehumidification technology, which is mission-critical for a wide range of manufacturing industries. It is also contributing heavily to sectors like data centers, where it provides advanced cooling solutions that significantly reduce energy use. Carbon capture is another area it is developing technologies for, further supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

“We are critical in the shift toward a digital and sustainable future,” Forsström emphasized. “But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration across industries, organizations, and governments is essential to raise awareness and drive change.” 

Curious about our SBTi targets? You'll find them here.