| Regional Governmental Workshops Call For the Phase-out Inefficient Lighting
In August, en.lighten held its inaugural regional workshop in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in conjunction with the 2011 Latin American and Caribbean Energy Efficiency Seminar by Organización Latinoamericana de la Energía (OLADE) and Comisión Nacional de Energia. This was followed on September 28th, with a second regional conference in Beirut, Lebanon in collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and in conjunction with the Beirut Energy Forum.
A total of 42 countries were represented in both events. Attendees included key energy efficiency officials and climate change focal points from the Ministries of Energy, Ministries of the Environment, national utilities, manufacturers, international organizations and NGOs.
The meetings served to introduce and obtain feedback from country representatives on an integrated approach to efficient lighting transformation developed by international experts from the en.lighten initiative. The integrated approach promotes the sustainable and accelerated transition to efficient lighting by addressing all policy, social and environmental aspects in order to ensure the transition is achieved in an effective manner and was endorsed by all countries.
Additionally, countries explored the conditions required to facilitate an effective phase-out of incandescent lamps in their regions. The en.lighten initiative has developed minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for CFLs and LEDs and monitoring, verification and enforcement recommendations to assist countries in the development of policies and programs.
Latin American and the Caribbean
In Santo Domingo, it was agreed that the utilization of inferior lighting products could undermine consumer trust, making it more difficult to encourage the adoption of efficient lighting technologies. Therefore, it was identified that globally harmonized standards be adopted and proper quality control mechanisms are implemented in each country.
Participants in the Santo Domingo event also emphasized the need to address the savings and financial benefits as well as on the health issues related to mercury in fluorescent lighting products. For example, consumers are often unaware that a tooth filling contains 20mg of mercury, whereas a CFL only contains between 2.5 – 5 mg of mercury, though many misconstrue the latter as containing far more dangerous levels of this substance. They also called for effective collection and recycling schemes to be designed.
In the 20 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean analyzed in the en.lighten Country Lighting Assessments (CLAs), 4% of total electricity consumption would be saved if incandescent lamps were substituted with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).This totals US$4 billion per year of savings for consumers in energy bills, and the equivalent carbon emissions of 4 million cars. Eight large power plants (500 MW) could be closed in the region due to increased energy efficiency.
Latin American and Caribbean officials pledged that they are in a good position to become the first developing region to be free of obsolete incandescent lamps. They also agreed to submit this position at the Energy and Environment regional ministerial meetings to be held in late 2011 and early 2012. The governments of Uruguay, Dominican Republic and Paraguay became the first in the Latin American and Caribbean region to formally join the en.lighten partnership at the conclusion of the event, next to the Central American Integration System.
The Middle East and North Africa
At the Middle East & North Africa workshop participants emphasized that in order to obtain a global transition to efficient lighting, financial resources should be allocated to assist a number of countries to implement their phase-out plans including; the targeted distribution of lamps among the poor, the implementation of effective quality control programs and sustainable end of life approaches for used lamps.
In the 19 countries from the Middle East and North Africa analyzed through the en.lighten CLAs, the phase-out of inefficient lighting in the region would save nearly 31.8 Twh of electricity (an average of 5.5%) and slash 19.9 Mt of CO2. This is equivalent to removing about 5 million vehicles off the road. Some countries in region have already begun initiatives to transition to efficient lighting. Six countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, and UAE) have distributed close to 99 million CFLs, in total. Additionally, other countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon have announced that they will ban the sale of incandescent bulbs by specific target years.
Tunisia, Sudan and Yemen became the first African and Middle East countries to join the partnership after the Lebanon workshop. Other countries in the area are expected to formalize their participation in the near future.
At the conclusion of both meetings, participants adopted official declarations which state that the phase out of incandescent lamps is one of the easiest ways to reduce CO2 emissions and achieve significant energy and financial savings. It is planned that the Santo Domingo and Beirut declarations be formally conveyed to world leaders and participants at the high level event at the Rio+20 conference as a successful strategy for moving towards a low-carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.
The en.lighten initiative’s Global Partnership Program, with the support of its partners, will provide targeted technical support for those countries willing to embark on the development of rapid transition strategies and will identify additional financial mechanisms, where necessary, to achieve effective phase-outs.
For more information about the Latin American and Caribbean conference and the signing of the “Santo Domingo Declaration,” click here
For more information about the Middle East and North African regional workshop and the signing of the “Beirut Declaration,” click here.
Country Feature – Uruguay
On August 4, 2011, Uruguay became the first Latin American and Caribbean country to join the en.lighten initiative as a full Partner with the official signing of an agreement by the Ministry of Housing, Territory Planning and Environment (MVOTMA). As an initial measure in support of the initiative, the Uruguayan government, through the Ministry on Industry, Energy and Mining, introduced a bill for the exemption of the VAT tax on CFLs, in order to stimulate the transition to energy efficient lighting in the country.
In conjunction with the above, the Sound Management of Mercury Products Project (SAICM/UNEP/UNIDO/Basel Convention) presented a technical proposal restricting the import of mercury-containing lamps based on specific mercury to lumen ratios. “This will be a very important step in reducing the environmental impact of the mercury contained in CFLs,” said Dr. Pablo Reali (Ph. D.), National Coordinator, Sound Management of Mercury Products Project. The proposal is presently under review with the legal bureau of the MVOTMA.
Uruguay is currently working with en.lighten to assess their existing national lighting situation. Expert Task Forces will work with the government to provide detailed technical and financial proposals for Uruguay in their shift to more energy efficient lighting. An integrated approach will be taken to ensure the safe and environmentally sound management of the mercury contained in spent lamps.
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