12 suppliers and 4 retailers to sign agreement during the Energy Challenge Fair 2009

Singapore, 11 September 2009 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) is signing a landmark Voluntary Agreement with 16 major retailers and suppliers, to provide more energy efficient appliances and encourage more Singapore households to purchase them.

Under the Voluntary Agreement, participating retailers and suppliers will voluntarily commit to achieving targets set out by the NEA, including retiring stock of energy inefficient models and introducing more 3- and 4-tick models, so that energy efficient models form at least 50% of their model range after six months, and 60% of their model range after one year. Signatories also voluntarily commit to promote energy efficient appliances, as well as improve the availability and affordability of energy efficient appliances available in their stores.

Organised in partnership with the Housing Development Board (HDB) and Energy Market Authority (EMA), the Voluntary Agreement includes signatories from the retail sector such as Best Denki, Courts, Gain City and Harvey Norman, as well as suppliers such as BSH Home Appliances, Carrier, CASA, Daikin, Fisher and Paykel, LG Electronics, Miele, Mitsubishi Electric, Wo Kee Hong Marketing, Panasonic, Samsung and Sanyo. A full list is available in the Annex.

The period of the Voluntary Agreement will be one year with an option for extension. When considering the extension, NEA will review the signatories’ progress in achieving the targets after six months and monitor their fulfillment of the terms of the Voluntary Agreement.

The Voluntary Agreement is aimed at paving the way for the implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) by 2011, which will see minimum standards set within the 1-tick and 2-tick range, as announced in February 2009.

The Voluntary Agreement is also an initiative under NEA’s 10% Energy Challenge campaign, a five-year drive to reduce household electricity consumption by 10% or more between 2008 and 2012.

Several signatories of the Voluntary Agreement, such as Gain City, Daikin, Panasonic and LG Electronics, are showcasing their energy efficient products and energy cost savings during Energy Challenge Fair 2009, organised by NEA and held from 11 to 13 September 2009 at the Marina Square Central Atrium.

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of NEA said, “We are delighted to have on board the support of so many retailers and suppliers who share our vision of energy efficiency. We hope that through the Voluntary Agreement, we can increase the number of energy efficient models in the market and provide customers with more choices.  At the same time, we are also providing more information on energy efficiency at the point of sale.  In so doing, we hope to increase the purchase of household appliances that are energy efficient and thereby achieve our national energy efficiency goals.”

Under the Sustainable Development Blueprint announced by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) in April 2009, Singapore has targeted to achieve a 35% reduction in energy intensity (consumption per dollar GDP) from 2005 levels.

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Annex

Signatories of Voluntary Agreement

Suppliers:

Retailers: