In his keynote address delivered today (March 30) at the 2012 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (2012MIECF), Mr. Chris Zijdeveld, President of Dutch Passive Housing Foundation, said that transport and construction are the two major factors in environmental protection. The speaker called on the public to reduce the use of vehicles, and instead, travel by low-carbon transport systems, such as tram and train. Mr. Zijdeveld added that, through green design and the use of construction materials, ventilation in the green buildings is improved, resulting in better use of the air-conditioned and heating systems, thereby reducing the consumption of petroleum and electricity. Mr. Zijdeveld has been a Board Member of the Municipality of Schiedan in the Netherlands for 20 years. During his tenure, he strived to turn Schiedam Municipality more environmentally-friendly. In this regard, he promoted and constructed 6000 passive and low energy houses and apartments, as well as improved thousands of existing houses to reduce their energy consumption level. Solar water heaters became a standard addition to the houses. He also strongly advocated the use of bicycles and other more environmentally-friendly public transport system, so as to reduce environmental pollution brought about by the traffic. During his tenure as the Board Member, Schiedam has received national awards on energy conservation and traffic safety. Personally, Mr. Zijdeveld has received the First National Solar Energy Award and awards from various international environmental organizations. The topic of Mr. Zjidevelf´s keynote speech at this year´s MIECF is "A Reachable Sustainable Future and Lessons from Developed Countries". He said that countries around the world should be aware of the need for environmental protection, and that energy conservation and the efficient use of energy is a matter of great urgency. Looking at the global situation, many developed countries are not consuming energy in the right manner therefore resulting in a lot of pollution. Ships and cars using fossil fuels emit large amounts of carbon dioxide that seriously pollutes the environment. He also pointed out that it is worrying that while the formation of fossil fuels takes millions of years, mankind quickly consume the reserves within a few decades. He said that everyone should firstly improve their own energy consumption habits, and then extend such habits to the whole community. Some people think that green living means sacrificing the comfort in life, but that is not necessarily true. He quoted the example of the Netherlands, which in the past consumed a lot of energy for heating. The country worked hard to improve in housing design and selection of building materials, so that the houses are kept warm while maintaining adequate air circulation, as a result, energy consumption has substantially declined when compared with past decades. On the other hand, thicker windows were installed in old buildings to make the house warmer. He said that these facts prove that these methods are indeed effective, but the success very much depends on government and individuals´ determination. In addition, Mr. Zijdevelt also pointed out that energy consumption varies from different modes of transportation, for instance, collective means of transport is more energy efficient than private cars, and that consumption also varies from different car models. He stressed that everyone can help in conserving energy and reducing emission, and by adjusting the habits of using electrical appliances, transport, heating and air conditioning systems, a lot of energy could be saved. For enquiries about the content of this press release, please contact the 2012MIECF Secretariat at tel. (853) 8798-9675, fax (853) 2872-3332, e-mail: miecf@koelnmesse.com.hk or visit the official website of the event: www.macaomiecf.com
