USAID RDM/A Regional Environment Office Weekly Report Week Ending June 13, 2008

Suppliers Sign "Manila Compact" to Rid Asian Market of Shoddy Energy-Efficient Lighting Products. The world's three largest lighting manufacturers—Philips, OSRAM, and General Electric—have signed the "Manila Compact", an agreement reached during a meeting in Manila on June 6, 2008, to establish common regional standards for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Lighting companies Zhongshan Opple Lighting and Energy Mad, along with the lighting councils from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia, the Efficient Lighting Initiative, the Government of Australia, and USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP) co-signed the agreement. ECO-Asia CDCP organized the meeting as part of its efforts over the past year to rid the Asian market of shoddy energy-saving lights and address Asia’s surging energy demand and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Maintaining consumers’ confidence in CFLs and increasing their use is critical to ensuring they are widely adopted. Under the agreement, suppliers will develop performance levels to rate CFL quality, a system for product marking, and a regional database so consumers can identify which CFLs meet quality standards. Half of the CFLs sold in Asia are substandard, producing less light or burning out more quickly than advertised, according to a 2007 report by ECO-Asia CDCP. Since each CFL can help reduce nearly 100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime, CFLs are a critical, near-term technology to address climate change. The supplier network is supported by USAID and the Australian Government as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP). Partners expect to develop performance standards by the end of this year and will spend the next few months outlining a strategy to implement the Compact.

Phnom Penh Adopts Sanitation Promotion Techniques from the City of Iloilo and Pre-Tests Promotional Materials. More than 30 people participated in a workshop on June 6, 2008, for officials from the Municipality of Phnom Penh, Cambodia to develop sanitation promotion approaches and materials.  As part of a city-to-city “twinning” arrangement between Phnom Penh and Iloilo City, Philippines local government officials shared their experiences and best practices on sanitation promotion. Sessions showcased approaches from other Asian cities, including segmenting the target audience, developing messages, and choosing promotional approaches. On June 7, 2008, Phnom Penh also worked with school children to pre-test school notebook covers designed to promote sanitation and good hygiene. During the pre-testing, students at the Phnom Penh Thmey School provided their candid comments on the images, text, and messages. Phnom Penh will disseminate these notebooks later this year. The USAID ECO-Asia Water and Sanitation program facilitates the Phnom Penh-Iloilo twinning arrangement.