Government initiatives needed to boost green tech

Thestar: Friday May 28, 2010

By YU JI
yuji@thestar.com.my

HIGH installation costs and lack of government initiatives is hampering the design of sustainable buildings and civil works in Malaysia. Malaysian Society for Engineering and Technology chairman Prof Datuk Abang Abdullah Abang Ali said there might be a lot of enthusiasm, but green initiatives were just starting in the country.
Speaking at a press conference to promote the Fourth World Engineering Congress to be held in Kuching, Abang Abdullah said that Government policies should encourage more public participation.
He cited solar energy as an example, saying that Malaysia’s energy sector should adopt buy-back programmes similar to that of Australia’s.
“Houses with solar panels that generate surplus electricity should be able to sell back to the national grid,” he said.
Abang Abdullah said the lack of installation of solar panels was largely due to the difficulty in storing the electricity produced.
“Certainly, it’s difficult to store electricity at home. You wouldn’t want too many batteries at your house, but the Government can come in on this.
“If you can sell back your energy to the national grid, then people will naturally adopt more green technologies.”
In Australia, the buy-back programme has encouraged many homes, schools, community centres and other public buildings to install solar panels as a source of revenue.
He noted that sustainable living awareness was fragmented in Malaysia, adding: “In Kuala Lumpur, there is a lot of enthusiasm, but elsewhere, it’s lower. Through the congress, we hope to rectify this.”
Meanwhile, Infrastructure Development Assistant Minister Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, who was present at the press conference as guest of honour, said that high cost was another impeding factor.
“Right now, it is too expensive,” said Daud, a trained engineer.
“This is the main problem. In Sarawak, we are trying. If you look at the extension of the Kuching Waterfront, we incorporated green technologies, but more can be done once costs come down,” he added.
The adoption of green technologies has become a talking point globally.
Federation of Engineering Institutions in Islamic Countries deputy president Associate Professor Megat Johari Megat Mohd Noor said that Malaysia could not escape climate change.
“Climate change that is accelerated by human activity anywhere in the world will have an impact on Malaysia as well,” Johari said.
“Just because Malaysia is free from most natural disasters, it doesn’t mean that we won’t be affected in some way.”
Johari said the Government should adopt a carbon-trading programme.
Carbon trading is where high-polluting countries pay towards less-polluting countries to conserve the environment.
Since the early part of this decade, Papau New Guinea has been earning revenue from rich countries by preserving its rainforests.
“Climate-change problems are no longer localised. Malaysia has to play its role in balancing global pollution,” he added.