PETALING JAYA: Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is calling for unified efforts from all stakeholders, including the private sector, to support Malaysia’s proposed Energy Efficiency & Conservation Act (EECA).
The bill for the EECA will be tabled in the next parliamentary session.
Nik Nazmi said the EECA aims to promote energy efficiency across industries, in line with the nation’s net zero objective.
“The NRECC (ministry) has been active in engaging all stakeholders when it comes to the EECA and, indeed, our work across the board, including for instance through the Climate Advisory Panel for COP 28. But ultimately, the Act is necessary because it will support Malaysia’s push to sustainability and climate action. And the ultimate bottom line here is Malaysia’s survival and, indeed, humanity’s survival,“ he said in his keynote address at the International Green Build Conference 2023 today.
However, the minister noted that the growing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance principles has put companies under increasing pressure to align their operations with sustainable goals.
“We must also acknowledge that not only consumers but even big companies and builders, to say nothing of small-and-medium enterprises will find the process daunting,” he remarked.
He said the EECA has been in the works for many years.
“It (the bill) will be tabled in the next parliament seating, this year, then we hope to get it done at least until second reading,” he told reporters after delivering his keynote speech.
Nik Nazmi said the EECA is crucial for Malaysia’s net zero objective as achieving it depends not only on renewable energy but also on energy efficiency.
“Other countries have already had some form of energy efficiency legislation, so we have been pushing hard to finally get it to go through Parliament,” he said.
He added that once it comes into force, the EECA will be a hallmark legal and regulatory framework for promoting energy efficiency in the country.
“The Act is linked to commercial and industrial competitiveness, energy security benefits, and environmental advantages such as reduced carbon emissions.
“It will also encompass regulations for high-energy users, building energy efficiency through building energy intensity labelling, and setting energy performance standards for electrical and thermal appliances,“ Nik Nazmi said.
In preparation for the EECA, the government will provide Energy Audit Conditional Grants to building owners to carry out energy audits, he disclosed.
“The energy audit exercise is crucial to determine the potential energy-saving measures and to establish the baseline. It also provides information on the demand profile of buildings. And energy management practices are the low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency efforts that can provide substantial savings from no-cost and low-cost initiatives,” he added.
Source: https://www.thesundaily.my/business/nik-nazmi-rallies-support-for-proposed-energy-efficiency-law-GC11312664