Better Quality Lights Can Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Significantly

BANGKOK, THAILAND, November 14, 2008: Some of the world’s largest lighting companies have joined forces in a bid to improve standards for energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in the Asian market.

Companies like Philips, OSRAM, General Electric and Havells-Sylvania say consumers could be disappointed by inefficient and low-quality CFLs, which produce less light or burn out relatively quickly.

The lighting suppliers have agreed to develop common CFL quality criteria, a system for product markings, and a regional database to enable consumers to identify which CFLs meet the quality specifications.

Currently, half the CFLs in Asia – about one billion units are sold annually in a market with yearly sales of US$7 billion– are substandard. Because of the extra power they need, these CFLs cause the release of more carbon dioxide emissions and other pollutants than their more efficient counterparts.

“Having a common quality system for Asia is essential to ensure long-term consumer satisfaction and to strengthen the market for energy-saving lamps,” said Marten Willemsen, head of Philips Lighting’s Global CFL unit, at the Better Air Quality (BAQ) 2008 workshop in Bangkok.

The initiative for quality specifications, called the “Asia CFL Quality Charter,” was launched in June 2008 at the Asia Clean Energy Forum, sponsored by the Asian Development Bank and USAID.

It is estimated that higher quality CFLs could reduce CO2 emissions by three million tonnes annually. They could also reduce SO2 emissions in China by up to 28,000 tons a year and in India by up to 19,000 tons a year. They could also reduce NOx emissions for China up to 6,800 tons per year and for India up to 1,600 tons per year.

The CFL supplier network is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of State, as part of a regional climate initiative known as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP). APP partner countries include Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, and the United States.

Media enquiries:

Orestes Anastasia, USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia, oanastasia@usaid.gov