Developers, lighting giant shun energy-efficiency schemes

Some of the city's biggest property developers and the world's largest lighting manufacturer have poured cold water on energy-saving initiatives by the environment minister that aim to control indoor temperatures and stop sales of non-energy-efficient light bulbs.

The initiatives are two separate voluntary schemes proposing that temperatures inside buildings be kept above 24 degrees Celsius until September and that retailers cease selling incandescent light bulbs after December 31.

So far, 32 companies operating 122 shopping malls have signed up to the temperature-control charter, but major players including Wharf, which runs Ocean Terminal, Times Square and Harbour City, have not come on board.

A spokesman for Wharf said it would not join the scheme in its second year because high customer traffic and the design of its malls made it difficult to achieve the target temperature.

Cheung Kong Properties has not signed its shopping malls up to the charter, either.

At a ceremony yesterday, Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment, said buildings consumed 90 per cent of the city's electricity and that one-third was used for air conditioning alone.

The light bulb charter has received an even more lacklustre response than the temperature scheme.