|
The Act will regulate comprehensive building energy codes , building energy labelling and electrical appliance energy performance standards .
Along with this Act , new requirements will be outlined to provide comprehensive measures to promote sustainable energy consumption , including target setting , communication , and education .
The EECA is projected to save the Malaysian government nearly RM47 billion by 2030 . Such initiatives should go hand in hand with mandatory green building certification beyond the narrow focus on energy efficiency by setting targets for low-carbon building materials and occupant health and well-being .
Level playing field
It is time to address the elephant in the room : Energy pricing . Currently , the actual cost of energy is not reflected in the consumer price .
The application of a “ polluters pay ” principle , where the harm caused by pollution is factored into the price , is rarely practised in Asia . On the contrary , dirty fossil fuels like coal and petrol are often subsidised .
This results in an uneven playing field . Energy-efficient solutions and renewable energy alternatives have difficulty competing because fossil fuels are artificially underpriced , or what economists denote as a post-tax subsidy .
Case in point , the price of coal ( US $ 4.4 per GJ ) matches the supply cost in most countries , but coal should be more than double once the cost of pollution is accounted for .
The environmental cost of coal most stems from global warming and the adverse public health effects from air pollution . For Thailand and Singapore , the price of coal should be about 500 per cent and 1,200 per cent higher , respectively , according to the actual cost figures by IMF ( 2017 ).
For the vehicle fuels diesel and gasoline , a similar scenario of underpricing emerges . A significant portion of these fuels ’ hidden cost comes from “ vehicle externalities ”, namely from traffic congestion and traffic accidents .
The consumer price of gasoline and diesel for vehicles should be roughly twice and three times higher , respectively . It is also worth noting that both diesel and petrol are given direct subsidies for Malaysia and Indonesia , as the consumer price is lower than the supply cost .
The direct fossil fuel subsidies in emerging and developing nations in Asia is US $ 70 billion per year . However , once the hidden costs are taken into account , the total fossil fuel subsidies in Asia add up to a whopping US $ 2,311 billion per year or 13.2 per cent of the GDP .
For comparison , approximately the same budget is spent by the governments on the educational sector .
The fossil fuel subsidies should be quickly phased out to level the playing field , not just in Asia but also across the world . The environmental gains by doing so would in Asia include a 30 per cent drop in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels and a 50 per cent drop in deaths caused by air pollution from fossil fuels .
According to climate economist Nicholas Stern , fossil fuel ’ s environmental cost is much higher once the long-term effects of climate change are fully accounted for . Hence , make a case for getting rid of the fossil fuel subsidies as soon as possible stronger . It is time to follow Singapore ’ s example of introducing carbon taxation on energy .
Carbon taxation introduced as a “ Fee and Dividend ” scheme
The intelligent thing about carbon taxation
|
, or CO2 taxation , is that prices across the board will be affected proportionally to their individual carbon footprint .
As such , carbon taxation is universally applied fairly and robustly and is not prone to special interest lobbyism . Carbon Border Tax Adjustment ( CBTA ) can be imposed on imported goods from countries without carbon taxation to maintain businesses ’ competitiveness .
A commonly heard argument against implementing a carbon tax - or environmental taxation in general - will hurt low-income families by reducing their disposable income .
The opposite is true if carbon taxation is implemented as a simple “ Fee and Dividend ” scheme . Championed by the Citizens ’ Climate Lobby , the monthly national carbon tax revenue is paid out as a monthly dividend in equal proportions to all citizens in this scheme .
Low-income families will typically experience a net economic gain , as the monthly dividend payout likely will be significantly higher than their monthly carbon taxes expenses due to the lower consumption and spending power of low-income families .
In other words , if applied along the lines of the Fee and Dividend scheme , carbon taxation can gain instant approval and popularity among the low-income segment of the population and become a political win .
Wooden Construction
As buildings become more energy-efficient , the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building materials must also be addressed .
Trees are one of nature ’ s most effective ways of removing CO2 . By using sustainably forested wood for construction , our built environment can effectively become carbon storage .
Wooden products such as glulam , crosslaminated timber and mass engineered wood can be used to partially replace conventional structural elements made from concrete and / or steel , both of which have a high carbon footprint .
For the Eunoia Junior College , Singapore , glulam beams replaced the conventional concrete beams , which had the advantage of faster and lighter construction without increasing construction costs .
Most of the structural wood technologies are imported from temperate climates . Local structural wood solutions based on Asian tree species will be developed for the regional market .
Action , please !
Malaysian buildings have lots of potential for energy efficiency improvements , both in operation and in the choice of low-carbon building materials .
Not only is there a good business case to be made for doing so , but the existential threat posed by climate change demands a rapidly low-carbon transformation of the building sector .
Interestingly , there is widespread public support for immediate action on climate change . In December 2020 , a global opinion poll was conducted by UNDP among 1.2 million respondents in 50 counties .
The poll found that two-thirds of the world ’ s population denotes climate change as a “ global emergency ” and want “ urgent action ”.
So let us not hesitate any longer and , through a concerted all-hands-on-deck effort , start plucking the “ lowest hanging fruits ”, aka by mainstreaming energyefficient and green buildings . — @ green
|
Eunoia Junior College class room . |
Fact Sheet
Menara Sarawak Energy- First Green Building in East Malaysia
• Menara Sarawak Energy was completed in 2012 and from the start was designed in accordance with the requirements of the Green Building Index ( GBI ) of Malaysia for energy efficiency .
• The building ’ s passive architecture focuses on efficient usage of resources at the same time provide conducive work surrounding with minimal impact on health and environment .
• Energy consumption is reduced by optimising building orientation , solar heat gain , and natural lighting , as well as adopting best practices in building services .
• Sarawak Energy headquarters , Menara Sarawak Energy was certified as the first green building in East Malaysia .
• Awarded with Final GBI Silver Rating under the Non-Residential New Construction ( NRNC ) Category in 2013 .
• Green Building Index ( GBI ) is Malaysia ’ s green rating tool for buildings and towns , created to promote sustainability in the built-environment and raise awareness of environmental issues amongst developers , architects , engineers , planners , designers , contractors as well as the public .
• Buildings will be awarded with the GBI rating based on six key criteria :
1 . Energy Efficiency ( EE ) ( 35 points ) – improve energy consumption by optimising building orientation , maximising solar heat gain through the building envelope , harvesting natural lighting , adopting the best practices in building services including use of renewable energy , and ensuring proper testing , commissioning and regular maintenance .
2 . Indoor Environmental Quality ( EQ ) ( 21 points ) - Achieve good quality performance in indoor air quality , acoustics , visual and thermal comfort . These will involve the use of low volatile organic compound materials , application of quality air filtration , proper control of air temperature , movement and humidity .
3 . Sustainable Site Planning & Management ( SM ) ( 16 points ) – Selecting appropriate sites with planned access to public transportation , community services , open spaces and landscaping . Avoiding and conserving environmentally sensitive areas through the development of existing sites and brownfields . Implementing proper construction management , storm water management and reducing the strain on existing infrastructure capacity .
4 . Materials & Resources ( MR ) ( 11 points ) – Promote the use of environment-friendly materials sourced from sustainable sources and recycling . Implement proper construction waste management with storage , collection and re-use of recyclables and construction formwork and waste .
5 . Water Efficiency ( WE ) ( 10 points ) – Rainwater harvesting , water recycling and watersaving fittings .
6 . Innovation ( IN ) ( 7 points ) – Innovative design and initiatives that meet the objectives of the GBI .
• Based on the Criteria , the GBI Accreditation Panel ( GBIAP ) awarded Sarawak Energy with Silver Rating gaining 68 out of 100 points .
• The GBI certification has a validity period of three years .
• In 2017 and 2019 , Menara Sarawak Energy , retained its green building index ( GBI ) silver rating as the architectural landmark continues to meet the verification assessment requirements on energy efficiency .
|