Push to make green lifestyle a culture by 2050
KOTA KINABALU: Renewable energy constitutes about 11 percent of the energy mix in Sabah, said chief secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA), Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang.
He said the energy mix in the State comprised 75.5 percent gas, 14.6 percent diesel, 6.3 percent hydro-power, three percent biomass and others.
In Malaysia, Zaini said renewable energy made up 22.4 percent of the energy mix last year and the target was to increase the figure to 30 percent by 2030 under the Green Tech Master Plan (GTMP) 20172030.
Additionally, he said the government is set on reducing carbon dioxide emission from eight metric tons per capita per year in 2017 to six metric tons per capita per year by 2030, and to improve energy efficiency from less than two percent to 15 percent in the same period.
He pointed out that the most obvious wastage in Malaysia was energy efficiency, such as lack of water efficiency in industrial processes or using chlorinated water in plants.
GTMP also aimed to push green manufacturing in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from 10 percent in 2017 to 50 percent by 2030, Zaini said during the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) Green dialogue session held as part of the Sabah Power Supply Open Day programme here yesterday.
The GTMP puts into place a framework that facilitates the mainstreaming of green technology in Malaysia. The goal of the masterplan is to strengthen the role of the green economy and green technology as catalyst to drive Malaysia’s aspirations for sustainable growth. The six key sectors focused in GTMP are energy, manufacturing, transport, building, waste and water.
Zaini said achieving a green economy should not be forced through enforcement, but through awareness and passion of the people to practise green culture.
“In 2050, I expect the communities to make green lifestyle a culture.”
On Malaysians’ readiness to accept green technology, he said the supply existed but demand had to be further enhanced.
At the same time, he said financing was also important to encourage green technology.
The Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDG 2030) has identified sustainable supply, sustainable demand and sustainable financing as its components.
For example, he said banks have to consider offering attractive loans for those who wished to build a zero-carbon green house.
He said banks were also reluctant to provide financing for electric vehicles because they were unconvinced of the sustainability of the product.
To a question raised at the dialogue session, Zaini said solar power was not sustainable in Malaysia due to low irradiance.
He said solar panels could only generate four to five hours of energy after being exposed to the sun from 11 am to 3 pm in Malaysia, as compared with 10 to 12 hours of solar power in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.