Environmental Policies Take On Substance In Southeast Asia

For example, a variety of plans are being implemented to promote wider adoption of solar power and biofuel. To reach those goals, Singapore has spelled out a number of measures, including the installation of solar power systems on public housing, the introduction of energy-saving standards for air-conditioners and other appliances, and steps to make more efficient use of water at commercial facilities. The Singapore government plans to invest 1 billion Singapore dollars (roughly 67 billion yen) over the next five years. The Norwegian solar power company Renewable Energy Corp. is currently building what will be the world’s largest factory for solar cells, capable of producing the energy equivalent of 1.5 gigawatts of devices. Meanwhile, the U.S. firm General Electric Co. will investigate technologies for the reprocessing of water in a research tie-up with the National University of Singapore. Next door, Malaysia is also progressing with the implementation of environment policies. Malaysia is the leading producer of palm oil in the world, and since biofuel can be made from palm oil it expects this environmental policy will also promote the nation’s farming industry by stimulating greater demand for palm oil. (June 23, 2009)