Laos building its green credentials
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Asean member countries were urged to promote energy efficiency and conservation at the 18th annual meeting of the Asean Energy Cooperation's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Sub-Sector Network (EEC).
The meeting was held in Vientiane last week and was co-chaired by the executive director of the Asean Centre for Energy, Dr Harrdiv H. Situmeang, and Dr Daovong Phonekeo, Lao’s Ministry of Energy and Mines' Energy Policy and Planning Department director general.
Speaking at the event, Dr Daovong said the world had widened its cooperation in socio-economic development, and energy supply was one of the main factors promoting this development.
But he said energy sources were limited so every country needed to conserve energy and use it more efficiently.
And in light of global warming, countries needed to reduce their carbon footprint.
Dr Daovong said the Lao government had set a target in the energy sector to ensure the country’s sustainable economic development, with electrification to be rolled out to 90 per cent of households by 2020.
It also aimed to increase the share of renewable energy to 30 per cent of total energy consumption, with 10 per cent coming from bio-fuels, by 2025.
According to an Electricite du Laos (EDL) report, electricity consumption increased 10 per cent in 2013 while the gross domestic product increased 8 per cent.
Dr Daovong said that with the increased development, electricity consumption was expected to increase every year.
He said the Ministry of Energy and Mines was drafting a strategy and policy on the EEC but lacked regulations, experts, financial support, appliances and quality control.
He said it was hoped that there would be more activities for the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation, especially the development of regulations, EEC standards for appliances, capacity building, financial support, new projects and other initiatives.
There were also other meetings including the 9th Board of Judges for Asean Energy Management in the Building and Industry Awards, the 20th Board of Judges for the Asean Energy Efficiency Building Awards, and the 1st Board of Judges for the Asean Green Building Awards.
Laos sent two submissions and both of them received awards. EDL was named first runner-up for the small and medium building category in energy management, while Lao Brewery Company was second runner up for the small and medium industry category on energy management.
All the winners and runners-up will receive the awards during the 32nd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting that will be hosted by Laos in September.
