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MESTECC subscribes to myGreen+ to offset its carbon footprint

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) has committed to offset 10 per cent of its electricity bills via the purchase of renewable energy (RE) certificates.

Typically, RE sources are hydro-electric, solar, biomass, biogas and wind power.

"MESTECC has committed to offset 10 per cent of its monthly electricity bills by subscribing to RM1,600 worth of of myGreen+," said MESTECC Minister Yeo Bee Yin.

MESTECC's office blocks of C4, C5 and C7, at Presint 1 in Putrajaya, collectively chalked up an average monthly electrcity bill of RM16,000.

In walking the talk of partially offsetting MESTECC's carbon footprint, Yeo said her ministry is the first subscriber to Malaysia's RE certificates brandnamed myGreen+.

While some people are familiar with the conventional carbon emissions trading programmes that use penalties and incentives to achieve certain targets, Yeo explained the RE certificates, like the myGreen+, incentivises RE suppliers via subsidies.

Yeo was speaking with reporters after Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad officiated at the opening of the International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2019, here, today.

Also present were Tenaga Nasional Bhd chief retail officer Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan.

He said the myGreen+ RE certificates allow for purchasers, like MESTECC today, to support RE generation. myGreen+ essentially tracks the ownership of environmental and social benefits of RE usage.

Megat Jalaluddin said the certifying agency, called Malaysia Green Attribute Tracking System (mGATS), gives each MyGreen+ a unique identification number to ensure they are not double counted.

Customers can subscribe to myGreen+ via myTNB Portal or at the nearest Kedai Tenaga. The bearer of MyGreen+ owns 1MWh of RE which can be traded via mGATS.

“We are glad to have our wholly-owned subsidiary, TNBX Sdn Bhd, to provide the platform for eco-conscious people to contribute to RE.

"We're working with APX Inc. to assure myGreen+ bearers that they are offsetting their carbon footprint according to international standards,” added Megat Jalaluddin.

TNBX managing director Nirinder Singh Johl said the mGATS platform is not just for Malaysia but also potentially to neighbouring ASEAN countries for green exchange.

“Moving forward, a new online e-commerce platform will be created specifically to trade myGreen+ regionally,” he added.

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