The Efficient Lighting Strategy includes establishing minimum energy efficiency standards governing lamps. This won’t be an outright ban, like many other countries have introduced. Instead, rules will be put in place defining what is and is not acceptable.
‘The adoption of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), which are much higher than the most efficient incandescent lamps, will inherently mean that incandescent lamps and other inefficient lamps will be phased out from market gradually,’ said Laura Fuller, UNEP spokeswoman.
The initiative will ban the import and sale of lamps that are not approved, and the creation of a regional labelling system on efficient lighting. The standards will include four components: efficacy, quality, safety and environmental impact. This strategy, which is expected to start next year, includes Panama, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
‘This is a response to the need to support efforts to mitigate climate change through a reduction in energy consumption from fossil fuels, and therefore a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions,’ a statement from the Mesoamerica Project said.
The phase-out is planned to be fully implemented by the end of 2016.
Pic by Al Ibrahim
- More on lighting bans:
- Korea to ban incandescents by 2014
- UAE bans inefficient bulbs
- EU bans dozens of LED products
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Flouters of French lighting ban could have electricity cut off
