Lights Out for Incandescents Down Under

That the Parliament welcomes the recent announcement by the Australian Government that incandescent light bulbs will not meet mandatory energy efficiency standards after 2010 and notes that this measure will result in a reduction in Australian greenhouse gas emissions of four million tonnes per year by 2015; notes that not only do compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use roughly one-fifth of the energy of a traditional incandescent bulb for a similar light output but that they also last several times longer, leading to significant cost savings from the use of CFLs; believes that the phasing out of inefficient light bulbs is just one step along a path towards maximum energy efficiency in all sectors within Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Executive to do everything in its power to ensure that all energy consumed in Scotland is used as efficiently as possible.