An Ambitious Energy Efficiency Law for Uruguay
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009Yesterday Uruguay promulgated an ambitious Law on the Efficient Use of Energy (“UEE Law”) that may be the broadest energy efficiency law yet in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The law is largely the same as the bill proposed in 2008 by the President and drafted with help from a project funded by the […]
Brazil Updates Mandatory Energy Label for Air Conditioners
Saturday, August 1st, 2009Brazil recently adopted a new set of rules for conformity assessment and energy effficiency labeling for air conditioners. Among other things, National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) Portaria 215, adopted on 23 July 2009 and published in the federal gazette on 27 July: extended the rules and compulsory labeling requirement (see sample […]
Argentina Sets Minimum Efficiency Levels for Refrigerators
Sunday, May 24th, 2009Argentina is one of the few Latin American nations (along with Brazil and Mexico) which has long (since 1999) had a mandatory energy efficiency labeling program for lighting and certain household appliances (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, clothes washers, clothes dryers, dishwashers, water heaters). Even so, to date the mandatory labels have only been issued for refrigerators, […]
Brazil Proposes Energy Labels for Buildings
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009Yesterday Brazil’s National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) published for public comment in the official gazette (the Official Daily of the Union – Diário Oficial da União) a draft administrative rule (portaria) on the award of certification labels for energy efficiency in public, commercial and service buildings. It is supplemented by an […]
A Sustainable Energy Plan for Barbados?
Tuesday, February 27th, 2007In an earlier article, I looked at the sustainability of Brazil’s long-range energy plans. Today I examine Barbados’ recently announced 20-year plans. The government of Prime Minister Owen Arthur recently presented to Parliament a ambitious draft national energy plan that has numerous environmental elements in it. While some have applauded its stated intentions — reduction […]
Should Brazil Get More Credit for Climate Change Steps Already Taken?
Wednesday, February 21st, 2007This one has been sitting in the backlog queue since November, demanding to be finished and released. Recent comments by Environment Minister Silva gave me a new reason to do so and a “hook” to hang it on besides! Just as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released in Paris earlier this month its […]