BEIJING, June 24 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- International and domestic policy makers and experts in the field of sustainability and green lighting gathered today in Beijing to explore a hot topic: climate change, and how merely changing a light bulb can significantly mitigate the threat.
“Sustainable energy is fundamentally a pre-requisite to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals, and for China, green energy is central to achieving its Xiaokang Goals,” said Silvia Morimoto, Deputy Country Director of UNDP China during the event. “Phasing out of inefficient lighting is not only possible; it is happening, all over the world, and on a grand scale right here in China.”
As part of the project Phasing-out of Incandescent Lamps & Energy Saving Lamps Promotion (PILESLAMP), the workshop was held jointly by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for participants to learn from China’s experience in implementing PILESLAMP over its first year.
Among the many accomplishments of PILELAMP that were reported at the workshop were extensive progress in developing a roadmap for IL phase-out and a plan for expanded ESL promotion, as well as donation of the energy efficient bulbs in the remote rural areas. For example, thanks to the support of the project, 100,000 energy saving lamps were donated to Dingxi City, Gansu Province in December 2009.
Lighting accounts for 19 percent of energy consumption, but changing light bulbs can reduce that number by a third or more. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s said at signing ceremony of the Green Lighting project in July 2009: “By changing a light bulb, and changing our mindset, we can change the world.”
About the Green Lights Programme
PILESLAMP is a three-year, 84-million US$ programme: 14-million US$ was funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), 18.9-million US$ funded by the Chinese Government, and the remaining fund derives from other sources including the private sector, in-kind contributions and others. An ambitious nationwide programme implemented by the NDRC and UNDP, the programme was designed to reduce carbon emissions from the use of inefficient incandescent lamps (ILs) by an estimated 4.4 million metric tons per year. It will do this by promoting the utilization of energy saving lamps (ESLs) through the transformation of the Chinese lighting market towards more energy efficient lighting products, technologies, and practices.
Apart from conversion of the lighting industry and improve quality of light bulbs, the programme also aims to educate the public on the need to use energy efficient lighting and solve the problem of how to dispose of waste products.
PILESLAMP is being implemented the context of a broader effort towards sustainability. China’s renewable energy investments in year 2009 amounted to US$ 36 billion, and by the end of last year, energy consumption per unit of GDP had decreased over 14% as compared with the year 2005. UNDP is supporting China’s low-carbon transition, not only through PILESLAMP, but also through its portfolio in China, which includes over US$ 683 million for energy and environment related matters.