HAESCO

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Yesterday (27 April 2009) ADB issued their report “The Economics of Climate Change i Southeast Asia: A Regional Review” (download report, 10MB, PDF).

One of the five sectors to help mitigate climate change is as expected the energy sector.

The study observed that climate change is already affecting Southeast Asia, with rising temperature,
decreasing rainfall, rising sea levels, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events leading to massive flooding, landslides and drought causing extensive damage to property, assets, and human life. Climate change is also exacerbating the problem of water stress, affecting agriculture production, causing forest fires, degrading forests, damaging coastal marine resources, and increasing outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The report urges that Southeast Asian countries should treat adaptation as an extension of sustainable development practices. Its key elements include: adapting agricultural practices to changes in temperature and precipitation; adapting water management to greater risk of floods and droughts; adapting coastal zone management to higher sea levels; safeguarding forest areas from forest fires and degradation; adapting people to threats of vector-borne infectious diseases. Southeast Asia countries need to take timely action to adapt to climate change, build resilience, and minimize the costs caused by the impact driven by GHG emissions that have been locked into the climate system.

The key word is action, we need to help create action today.

copyright 2009 photograph by John Herbert

Today (22 April 2009) has been designated as Earth Day! HAESCO members are invited and encouraged to help a new customer today - let’s help them lower their energy costs, reduce their carbon, and create a better environment for our children.

John Herbert
HAESCO Vice Chairman

ATV News report (Chinese):

HAESCO members will recall that  FoE HK (Friend’s of the Earth http://www.foe.org.hk) recently conducted a survey concerning the energy sector and ESCO’s in Hong Kong.

FoE HK released their findings in a press conference last week, with some HAESCO members also attending.  Courtesy of FoE’s Catherine Lau, here is a link for PDF document (750k) with the resultant Chinese and English press clippings from the local press (Sunday, 19 APril 2009):

http://www.haesco.hk/press/2009-04-ESCO_survey.pdf

Here is a link to see a video news clip by ATV (Chinese only):

http://www.hkatvnews.com/v3/share_out/_content/2009/04/19/atvnews_128529.html

FoE’s press release:

Four Billion Dollars’ Market
On Government’s Call

Press Release 8/4/2009

Friends of the Earth (HK) welcomes the governments allocation of a $450 million budget to subsidize the carbon audit and energy efficiency projects of private buildings. This is a step towards the establishment of an energy efficiency industry. FoE (HK) believes an energy conservation market approximating to $4 billion fits the Chief Executive¡¦s vision of developing a green economy while creating jobs, in addition to responding to two environmental issues of air pollution and climate change.

While providing a matching grant for the new energy conservation initiative, the government should not waste time at legislating for Mandatory Building Energy Efficiency Code within the current legislative year to step up the energy efficiency performance. But more importantly, the government should set a citywide energy conservation target to instill a public awareness on the importance of energy reduction.

From 1997 to 2008, the population of Hong Kong has increased by 7.6% while a 27 % increase of electricity consumption was recorded. The exponential growth of electricity use, disproportional to population growth, leaves huge room for energy reduction. The Power Smart contest organized by FoE (HK) last year managed to cut over 1.2 million kwh of electricity within three months, an equivalent of a $10 million electricity bill, which demonstrated how easily it can be saved.

FoE (HK) believes $4 billion savings from electricity use can be translated into an enormous energy conservation market. An energy conservation industry made of energy consulting firms, energy providers for lighting, air conditioning and electricity control, can provide energy services by contract to building owners and private companies with tailor-made energy efficiency plans. The industry can also yield profits by promoting energy saving products or technology, which requires extra manpower. The benefits of a green economy are many: creating jobs, stimulating economy, reducing air pollutants, etc.

The spokesperson of FoE (HK) says, ¡§We use energy wherever we go or stay. A green economy is local, which grows on where it budded.¡¨ Hong Kong provides a fertile soil for the technological development and management of the energy conservation industry, from where experiences could be exported to the mainland.

FoE (HK) recommends the following to the government for the creation of an energy conservation industry:
1) Speedy implementation of Mandatory Building Energy Efficiency Code
2) Set up a citywide energy conservation goal
3) Facilitate energy conservation by listing energy service providers on government websites
4) Provide loans to energy service providers

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Here are the links for the FOE Survey results (English and Chinese) provided by FOE:

http://www.haesco.hk/press/20090419_press release_Eng.pdf
http://www.haesco.hk/press/20090419_pressrelease_Chi.pdf