| Azlan Othman |
THE government has succeeded in saving 6.9 per cent of energy through various measures implemented in government buildings – which is translated to B$6 million savings annually.
This was said by Minister of Energy and Industry YB Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mat Suny bin Haji Mohd Hussein while responding to a query raised by YB Iswandy bin Ahmad on the nation’s strategy to contain climate change, during the 14th Legislative Council session yesterday.
“Dissemination programmes for promoting prudent energy usage has been continuing through public service and village consultative councils. In addition, energy auditing is being made at government buildings. Through these measures, 6.9 per cent energy saving has been accomplished at government buildings which is equivalent to $6 million annually. All these efforts play a crucial role in reducing carbon emission,” the minister said.
Brunei Darussalam ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016 and the Sultanate is also in the process to provide a report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The nation’s strategies and target to reduce carbon emission are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
However, development of the nation is not compromised, the minister said while highlighting the steps that have been undertaken to reduce carbon emission including the target to reduce the greenhouse emission by 25-30 per cent from oil and gas industry through the reduction and stoppage of waste gas through the process of venting and flaring. The other target is to reduce the energy intensity by 2035. Energy intensity is a measure of the energy efficiency of a nation’s economy. It is calculated as units of energy per unit of gross domestic product.
In addition, the government is also striving to enhance energy efficiency through implementing a support policy and supervisory framework by issuing efficiency guidelines and energy labelling standards. As for renewable energy, the target is to contribute at least 10 per cent to energy generation by 2035. One of the drivers of renewable energy generation is the feed-in tariff system and the government is still reviewing it to enable the public to generate electricity through renewable energy and relay it back to the national grid.
Other measures are to enhance public awareness on the importance to tackle climate change.