ASEAN Cebu Declaration good news for Australia''s energy future

The Insulation Council of Australia & New Zealand (ICANZ) has welcomed the signing of the "˜Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security'.

Prime Minister John Howard and other regional leaders signed the Declaration at the 12th ASEAN Summit at Cebu in the Philippines on 15 January.

Dennis D''Arcy, ICANZ president, said that the declaration gave due recognition to the important role of energy efficiency in addressing global warming and climate change and was a step forward for Australia.

"The most sustainable energy is energy that is saved, and the Cebu Declaration commits Australia to taking ''concrete action towards improving efficiency and conservation'' of energy. This is a very good initiative for Australia to be part of and I commend the Prime Minister for signing the declaration with its clear mission to improve Australia''s energy efficiency," D''Arcy said.

"The declaration puts demand-side solutions to energy problems, such as improving the energy efficiency of buildings, on a more equal footing with the big ticket supply-side solutions, such as the building of new generation capacity," he said.

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings through passive design, which includes high levels of insulation and energy-efficient glazing, will improve environmental and social benefits to Australia.

"About 40% of Australian homes have no insulation, yet insulation is a low-cost solution that reduces energy consumption and costs, helps flatten peak load demands thus avoiding blackouts and improves the health and wellbeing of occupants," he said.