Twenty chain drugstores and apparel companies signed a pledge to voluntarily cut their electricity use by 5 percent over three years at a meeting convened by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy Aug. 17.
Jerry Ou, director-general of the bureau, said the two sectors were chosen for inclusion in the government’s efforts to encourage energy conservation and carbon reduction because “they are close to people’s everyday lives.”
“The success of retail stores in saving energy can serve as a driving force for the general public to do the same,” Ou explained.
According to the bureau, there are 12 drugstore chains and 46 retail clothing groups in Taiwan, with a total of 4,155 outlets around the nation. Each year, these retail stores consume 450 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, accounting for about 0.97 percent of annual electricity consumption in the service sector, the bureau said.
The 20 volunteering companies currently consume about 285 million kwh of electricity per year, or 62.5 percent of combined electricity use in the two sectors, the bureau said.
The bureau estimated that the pledge will help cut electricity consumption by nearly 14 million kwh and reduce carbon emissions by 8,700 metric tons.
This is expected to bring about NT$130 million (US$4.49 million) in business opportunities for energy-saving products, the bureau added.
