Moot highlights energy efficiency, conservation

Islamabad: The National Productivity Organisation (NPO) on Wednesday hosted a conference on energy efficiency and conservation at the Serena Hotel.

The event highlighted the progress of the Green Productivity Campaign, an energy efficiency campaign, attempts to address the current energy gap and global environmental challenges through the creation of demonstration companies.

Industries and production secretary Mian Asad Hayauddin was the chief guest on the occasion.The speakers said with the Green Productivity Campaign, the APO enhanced the capacities of Demonstration Companies in energy conservation and efficiency resulting in reductions in cost, changes in the mindset of employees and laying the groundwork for the formulation of an energy policy.

They said the Serena Hotels along with the Pakistan Engineering Company Limited (PECO) and Asian Food Industries Limited were selected to be the demonstration companies.The speakers said the NPO in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organisation and other national and international organisations developed the capacities of the demonstration companies to enhance resource efficiency, reduce per unit production cost and decrease CO2 emissions. As a result of the intervention, up to 10 per cent saving potential has been identified and more than 800 technical staff has been trained through class room and/or shop floor trainings.

The Serena Hotels is collaborating with NPO and Asian Productivity Organisation to develop a case study on energy efficiency and conservation with the support of Japanese experts and the NPO Green Productivity Centre.

Experts from Japan lead the programme, sharing Japan’s energy-efficiency schemes, best practices and technologies thereby contributing to sustainable development.The demonstration companies will disseminate techniques for energy conservation to individual companies and encourages similar efforts by SMEs and public and private-sector organizations throughout the country.

The demonstration companies will share examples of applications of energy management tools and techniques as well as the results achieved nationwide.During the course of the campaign, the NPO-APO teams visited Islamabad Serena Hotel and Serena Business Complex multiple times making expert recommendations that were implemented at Serena.

The Serena Hotels representatives said the hotel wan committed to improving and preserving environment.They said responsible natural resource management had always been one of the top priorities of Serena Hotels and therefore, as the business expanded, the hotel would continue inculcating ecologically sustainable policies by focusing on projects related to climate change, air emissions, the carbon footprint and most importantly water and energy conservation.

They added that the hotel was compliant with several important international standards, such as the ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001.The demonstration companies appreciated the efforts of Campaign as industries, commercial entities, large building complexes and public utilities can accrue substantial savings in energy bills by adopting energy efficient techniques, systems, and technologies in their processes and facilities and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Environmentally responsible business practices also create a positive image of the company.