October 30, 2009 10:58 AM

Germany Gets It Going Green

By Ummi Nadiah Rosli

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- The wheels of his bicycle races on the busy streets of Kuala Lumpur as cars honk along the congested lanes during peak hour madness.

He navigates through the rough terrains of the city landscape - avoiding the potholes, slowing down for pedestrians and careful to distance himself away from the oncoming traffic.

He takes this route everyday to work, cycling by houses, apartments and skyscrapers, noticeably the iconic Petronas Twin Towers located just a few blocks away from his workplace.

Taking only 10 minutes to reach his building, it was another triumphant morning as he managed to escape the traffic nightmare experienced by others on the road. Wiping off the beads of sweat on his forehead, he locks his bicycle then fixes his tie and suit. Upon entering the office a staff greets, "Good Morning Your Excellency!".

Now how many diplomatic officials can claim that they travel to work on sheer pedal power? German Ambassador Dr Guenter Georg Gruber definitely can.

THE GREEN AMBASSADOR

It is a common understanding that Germans are obsessed with punctuality, but that doesn't prevent Dr Gruber from arriving to work, business meetings or official functions with wheels of a different kind.

Discarding the more stylish rides available from the fast cars that his country is famous for, Dr Gruber insists on reducing his carbon footprint by engaging in a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

"If I took my car to the office, it can take me close to an hour to reach there compared to when I cycle, which takes only 10 minutes. Less fuel, less time and less headache," said the 61 year-old Ambassador. And he is not the only one with headaches.

Malaysia has one of the highest rates of Single-Occupancy Vehicles (SOV) in the world. According to a report issued in 2007, about 65 to 70 per cent of the cars entering the city were SOV. About 125,000 vehicles i.e. 65 per cent (on average) of vehicles that crosses the MRRII highway during the morning and evening peak hours are SOV.

The Mayor of Kuala Lumpur Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail estimates that currently over a million motorists mostly SOV drive into the city daily. These vehicles which travel with very low efficiency, attribute to congestion and green house gas emission.

Dr. Gruber stated, "I also cycle to functions that are nearby my office (located at Jalan Tun Razak). But what's funny is that when I arrive at the hotel valets along with the other fancy cars, I'm told I can't park my bicycle there. Even after I tell them I'm an Ambassador!".

MADE IN GERMANY

The Ambassador might receive curious stares when he cycles to work here, but his environmental fervour is nothing strange to the German community.

The green wave which hit their shores in the 1970s continues its momentum till today, affecting generations of Germans with advanced thinking in the green revolution.

Germany is considered the world leader in renewables and energy leading the sustainable industry revolution. Its green technology benefits and its companies has helped to influence the global environment by setting a good example for a developed nation.

In 2007, Germany was the 'world champion' in energy saving, whereby it registered the world's largest decline in energy consumption.

The European country is also number one in the fields of photovoltaics and wind energy. Meanwhile renewables, make up more than 15 per cent of domestic electricity production and it has a 10 per cent share of global renewables market in 2008, with a target of increasing it to 20 per cent by 2020.

Germany raked 29 billion Euro (RM143 billion) in revenues in 2008 from this industry, and over 9 billion Euro (RM 44 billion) in exports and over 13 billion Euro (RM 64 billion) in domestic investments.

They also lead in the research and development of green technology worldwide with over 15 billion Euro (RM74 billion) in government investment. The renewable sector also employed some 280,000 employees in 2008, a number they hope to push to 400,000 by 2020.

MALAYSIA CAN BE A ROLE MODEL

Amidst all the successes achieved by Germany in promoting green technology, Dr Gruber was quick to add that it has been a long journey for the country.

"It took 40 years for Germany to develop effective green policies, and we are still improving our ways to promote a more sustainable industry. Back in the 1960's Germany was occupied with growth, building our economy at whatever cost. We exhausted our natural resources, and didn't care about our forest and rivers.

The breakthrough happened in the 1970's when grassroot movement pushed for greener policies, subsequently the German Green Party was founded in 1980, running on a predominantly environmental platform and it achieved national prominence.

The success of the Green party, he said, was more than political. It ingrained in the mindset of Germans to be more environmentally conscious and to vote for greener policies.

"In a way, Malaysia today is reminiscent of Germany in the 70's. The country is on the brink of a green revolution and I think Malaysia can be a role model for others in forging the way. Malaysia, having one of the richest biodiversities in the world could become a key player. You have everything - water, sun, natural resources", he remarked.

GREEN IS IN

Malaysia has already kick-started several bilateral partnerships with some of German's flagship enterprises in the green industry.

Major investments by German companies include the joint venture with Q-cells, the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic cells. Its factory at Selangor Science Park started operating this year producing solar cells for the world market.

With an investment of 1 billion, Euro Q-cells will also provide solar cells for the state of Selangor for the use of a township comprising of a quarter million people over the next 10 years.

Other German players are also making their presence felt in Malaysia through collaborations in biofuel innovations and transfer of technology for green building (architecture). Additionally, courses in sustainable development are being introduced in local universities by German varsities.

"There's a lot that Malaysia can do in this industry since saving energy is not a burden, but a chance for a new market and more employment opportunities. Fossil fuels are limited, so energy saved is the best source of energy."

The country can invest in the insulation of homes and buildings, lay the groundwork for renewable energy sources in the industrial and agricultural sectors as well as improve on the public transportation, among others," Dr Gruber said.

He added that the government could also support energy-efficient programmes, including providing research grants, renewable energy export initiative, energy efficiency export initiative and others.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

Glancing at the Twin Towers from his high-rise office, Dr Gruber commented that even though he hopes that the green wave will speed up in Malaysia, Germany understands that countries have the right to develop.

"Germany will not tell Malaysia what to do. We are here to share experiences and to bring like-minded Malaysians for the green cause.

Germany is willing to go the extra mile, and we have the track record to prove our green commitment. In 2007, 8 per cent of our GDP came from environmental technology and we aim to boost it to 14 per cent by 2020. We want to further reduce our energy consumption by 25 to 30 per cent."

A pioneer in green technology, Dr Gruber stated that Germany sees the potential for Malaysia to join the ranks of the industry's front-runners like Voith (whose turbines and generators generate a third of the world's hydroelectric power), and Bosch-Siemens, Osram and Miele (which produce efficient household devices).

"The demand for green technology is growing, and the faster Malaysia joins the bandwagon, the better the quality of life for all Malaysians. Alternatives are always there for us, but are we up to take the challenge?".

In the meantime, if you happen to see Dr Gruber cycling around the streets of Kuala Lumpur, do not forget to say hello, or as the Germans say 'Guten tag!'.

-- BERNAMA

We provide (subscription-based) 
news coverage in our Newswire service.