In a bid to address the worsening global energy crisis, the Housing and Local Government ministry has instructed all 156 local authorities nationwide to initiate energy-saving and cost-cutting measures all over the country.

The ministry is committed to ensuring local councils adopt proactive and structured measures to optimise the use of energy in buildings and facilities while not compromising on service delivery to all Malaysians.

Since the ministry is the coordinating agency for local authorities, it believes that energy-saving efforts would not only reduce operational costs but also support environmental sustainability and the nation’s low-carbon emission goals.

Key proposed measures in energy-saving include setting air-conditioning temperatures at a minimum of 24 degrees Celsius in all council buildings and offices and a Work-from-Home strategy in phases to reduce energy consumption.

Other initiatives the ministry suggests to implement is the adoption of green technologies such as solarphoto-voltaic panels, energy-efficient LED lighting and introducing smart building management systems in local council facilities.

The ministry also hopes to conduct regular energy audits and have long-term plans to identify energy-saving opportunities in buildings, street lightings, public wet and dry markets, recreational parks and local infrastructure.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE