Saving energy saves people money, a report by the United Nations has hinted.
The report in collaboration with energy experts shows that much of electricity and heat are powered by coal, oil and gas, causing greenhouse gas emissions indicating one could save energy (and money) and reduce carbon footprint by simple steps including lowering heating and cooling at home.
The report notes that lowering the temperature of the washing machine, combined with air-drying instead of using a dryer, could make a big difference in the carbon footprint of laundry.
The report says that about 90 per cent of the energy used by the washing machine goes towards heating the water, recommending the use of cold water to wash clothes greatly reducing energy use and therefore, CO2 emissions and consequently saving you money too.
The report also recommends switching to LED lighting as a simple way to lower one’s carbon footprint since LED light bulbs use much less power than incandescent bulbs, reducing carbon footprint because generating electricity produces CO2.
LED bulbs also have a longer lifespan, which means fewer bulbs need to be manufactured, resulting in fewer CO2 emissions.
In line with the report, Energy Cabinet Secretary Amb. Monica Juma when officiating the Sustainable Energy Conference at Olkaria in Naivasha recently expressed hope that the outcomes from the discussions would find expression at the African Energy Forum scheduled for Brussels and inform the process of developing the common African position at the COP27 in Egypt later in the year.
In 2017, Kenya ratified the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The agreement aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.
Source:KNA