At the Cool Style campaign's launch ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs' (MOEA) Bureau of Energy (BOE) today—World Environment Day—Premier Jiang Yi-huah commended the BOE for inviting famous fashion designers to the event to showcase ingenious shirts which make the wearer feel cooler, reducing his or her need for air conditioning.
"Whether citizens are at home or at work, they should lead an environmentally friendly life by saving on energy during the summertime to reduce carbon emissions. Economic growth and better treatment of the earth can be pursued at the same time," Jiang said.
The premier also announced that starting next week, Cabinet members will not need to wear a suit and tie while attending Executive Yuan meetings. This will reduce the need for and use of air conditioning inside yuan facilities.
"I cannot stand heat and sweat easily, but oftentimes I have to wear a suit and tie at formal occasions. This is an unpleasant experience in summer. I am very glad I do not have to wear a suit and tie at today's event," Jiang joked. "Everybody should adjust their lifestyles in order to be both more comfortable and friendlier to the environment."
Jiang said that during a two-day visit to power plants with President Ma Ying-jeou on June 2 and 3, he contemplated ways to conserve energy and expand the island's energy supply since Taiwan relies on imports for 98 percent of its energy. "We need to diversify our energy resources to ensure a stable energy supply for our industries," the premier said.
He also called on citizens to lead greener lifestyles, especially during the subtropical island's hot and humid summer season, when energy consumption annually hits new record highs due to extensive use of air conditioning. Households and businesses together consume nearly 40 billion kilowatt-hours per year, equivalent to the annual amount of electricity generated by Taiwan's largest coal-fired power plant, which is in Taichung.
"If citizens can adopt energy-saving practices and reduce the use of air conditioning, the demand for energy will decrease accordingly, and the need to develop more energy sources will be less desperate. This will help reduce CO2 emissions and other air pollutants resulting from energy consumption," he said.
At the MOEA's invitation, representatives of 30 businesses and trade associations attended this afternoon's launch ceremony, including Taiwanese fashion designers, clothing brand representatives, and members from 11 designated types of private or public establishments. Together, they expressed their determination to conserve energy.
The MOEA noted that if citizens set their air conditioners' target room temperature just one degree Celsius higher than usual and wore cooler clothing to compensate, they could still save 6 percent of their energy consumption on air conditioning without affecting their quality of life, and if all homes and businesses did the same, a total of one billion kilowatt-hours could be conserved every year.