Business

Saturday July 11, 2009

Green initiative

By CECILIA KOK


EVERYTHING seems to have the potential of turning green nowadays. From information technology gadgets to food and beverage production, water and electricity generation as well as transportation systems, the “green” theme appears to be increasingly dominating every segment of most economies in the world.

The global interest in green topics exploded as a result of the growing awareness that global warming is accelerating, and the perception that it is posing a serious threat to humanity and the world’s environment.

Datuk Peter Chin ... the Government hopes to create a new avenue of growth for the country’s economy.

Bearing in mind that global warming is mainly a result of man’s own doing in our pursuit of development and prosperity, efforts are now being put in place to reverse the adverse effects of industrialisation.

As it is, policymakers are already intensifying their approaches towards encouraging the growth and adoption of green technology in their countries.

A clear example would be US President Barack Obama, who recently outlined his vision for a green revolution by proposing a new bill, which he claimed could wean the United States off its dependency on fossil fuels and create a new, clean energy economy. He was quoted as saying that he wanted to make clean energy a profitable business that could create new industries and new jobs for thousands of Americans, while providing incentives for various sectors to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

It is heartening to know that the Malaysian Government too is taking the green stance seriously. In April, when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reshuffled his cabinet, he created a green technology ministry.

The renamed Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water has since been given the mandate to not only manage the power and water sources for the country, but to also promote sustainable development and the adoption of green technologies in Malaysia.

Sounds like a great plan, even though the details of what the green technology segment specifically entails have yet to be unveiled. But in giving the general overview on the green technology sector of his ministry, the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin tells StarBizWeek that it encompasses anything that has the element of technology that can help the Government to lessen pollution and enhance the efficient use of scarce resources. This initiative will benefit the country and future generations.

While green technology is still at a very nascent stage in Malaysia, the Government reckons that there is indeed good potential for the development of the technology in the country. But to realise this vision, it requires the contribution from all stakeholders.

On this, Chin says one of the top priorities of his ministry is to create awareness among corporations and the public at large on the need to conserve, and to reduce, reuse and recycle (the three R’s). The objectives are to prolong the use of depleting natural resources, and to curtail the country’s contribution to global climate change.

Now, what better way to promote the adoption of green technology than by incentivising companies and people who switch to the environmentally friendly method of doing things?

According to Chin, various incentives are still being drafted to encourage the use of green technology, but all these will be revealed before the end of the month. He says the Government is expected to spell out the details of the green technology plan on July 24.

Ultimately, in promoting the adoption of green technology, the Government hopes to create a new avenue of growth for the country’s economy. The idea is that it would eventually create new industries that are “green” and generate quality jobs for the people.

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