Energy efficiency and labelling systems in Asia

During a recent symposium on energy efficiency and labelling systems in Asia held in Tokyo, valuable information was given on the status of some projects: - In China, household appliance energy-efficiency labelling was first implemented with refrigerators in 2005 and now covers air conditioners (see Newsletter of the IIR No. 38). Products eligible for subsidies under the scheme must meet stricter energy-saving requirements than products entering the market. For example, refrigerators must achieve the highest energy-efficiency grade of 1 - virtually as stringent as those for US Energy Star-qualified or EU A-grade refrigerators - on a 1 to 5 scale to be eligible for subsidies. As a result, the number of sales of 1-graded refrigerators was about 20 million in 2008 (out of a total of 240 million refrigerators sold) which corresponds to savings of 100 million tons of CO2. - In Vietnam, a national strategy for energy efficiency was approved in 2006 and a draft energy efficiency law requiring labelling and phasing out of inefficient products is expected in 2010-2011, along with tax and investment incentives. Standards and labelling are expected to become mandatory between 2012 and 2015, which is also the timeline for harmonizing standards with ASEAN countries.