In terms of energy intensity, New Zealand is just a little lower than the global average.
While this drop in energy intensity was large, it is not unprecedented.
The average decline in energy intensity from 2000 to 2008 was 2.0 percent.
The university, in announcing the achievement yesterday, said the record was comparable to the energy intensity on the sun's surface.
The next five-year plan set a goal of improving energy intensity by 16%.
From 2006-09, China achieved a 14.4% reduction in energy intensity.
Energy use as a percentage of the nation's economy, called energy intensity, began declining and has done so ever since.
Currently the energy intensity of the Russian economy is estimated to be about 2.5 times more than the world average.
The most recent statistics on energy intensity show that for 1996 we are at level zero.
The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity in the economy.