Greener lighting a solution to climate change
- By Eric Rondolat
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E-mail China Daily, February 2, 2016
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A new electric car is on show in Beijing. |
We are at a crucial juncture in the history of our planet. The global agreement at the UN climate change conference in Paris in December is an unprecedented commitment to pre-empt a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. Now is the time to change fundamentally the way we use the world's resources－or face the consequences.
The crucial next step is a review mechanism, agreed at the Paris climate conference, to revise national targets over time.
Clever use of energy will unlock a host of economic and social－not to mention environmental－benefits. Best of all, solutions to this great energy challenge already exist.
Lighting is one of the easiest places to start.
Lighting accounts for a staggering 19 percent of global electricity consumption, yet we still cling to outdated and inefficient alternatives. LED lighting consumes at least 40 percent less energy than conventional lighting－and that's just the beginning.
Intelligent LEDs, embedded with sensors and connected wirelessly, can be managed remotely via the Internet. Their potential in tackling climate change is immense: connected lighting can deliver savings of up to 80 percent as households, businesses and entire cities reduce their environmental impact.
Our most recent estimate is that a universal switch to LED could slash lighting's share of electricity consumption to just 7 percent, a saving of €272 billion and a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions of about 1,400 megatons by 2030.
