Energy efficiency investments around the world have remained strong despite the global recession, commercial building executives told Johnson Controls in the company's first international energy efficiency survey.

The company is releasing results today of its Energy Effiiciency Indicator, which surveyed 2,800 executives and managers around the world who are responsible for making investments and managing energy at commercial properties.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they invested the same or more in energy efficiency over the last 12 months, according to the company.

Looking at responses from various regions, 60 percent of the building execs participating in the survey in China said they invested the same or more over the past year. In the U.S., 59 percent answered the same; in Europe, 55 percent, and India, 45 percent.

Not surprisingly, 97 percent of all respondents pointed to cost savings as the most important driver for the investments.

Johnson Controls has conducted its EEI survey -- which examines energy management priorities, practices and investment plans -- in North America for the past four years.

This year, the research also was conducted in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The company released results of its North American research in April, which indicated that businesses there expect to spend more on energy efficiency in the next 12 months despite economic uncertainty.

Further details on the findings of the global survey are expected later today.

Shanghai Skyline - Image CC licensed by Bernt Rostad.