by Brianna Crandall — December 8, 2010—A new assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), launched December 1 at the U.N. Climate Change meeting in Cancun, provides estimates of potential emissions reduction and savings that can be achieved by switching to energy-efficient lighting technologies across 100 countries that have not yet initiated the transition.
By promoting the tangible benefits of efficient lighting it is anticipated that a growing number of countries will be interested in engaging in transformation activities to phase out inefficient lighting systems and reduce emissions. According to the International Energy Agency, electricity for lighting accounts for 19 percent of global power consumption and six to eight percent of worldwide greenhouse gas.
Among the findings:
- Indonesia could save $1 billion a year and cut its greenhouse gas emissions by eight million metric tons of CO2 annually by switching to energy-saving bulbs.
- South Africa could save $280 million a year and remove emissions equal to 625,000 cars annually by following a similar path.
- Mexico would save $900 million, reducing 5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions a year in a soon-to-be-announced plan to replace incandescent lamps in the country. With the electricity saved from this small shift, 3 coal power plants would become unnecessary, says UNEP.
- Brazil is expected to save $2 billion a year and 4 million metric tons of CO2 when legislation in the country is finalized, by mid 2012.
- South Africa could save $280 million a year and remove emissions equal to 625,000 cars annually by following a similar path.
The 100 Country Lighting Assessment findings have come from the “en.lighten initiative”—a partnership led by UNEP involving companies Osram and Philips and supported by the Global Environment Facility. The assessments analyze the benefits of shifting the obsolete incandescent lamp technology to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Larger savings are expected to be achieved if other inefficient lighting technologies are also substituted, such as inefficient tube lights or inefficient halogens.
