Since May, we've been reporting on the deepening of diplomatic ties between Belize and Mexico.
On May 9th, the Mexican President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, made his first visit to Belize. After extended discussions with his counterpart, Prime Minister John Briceno, the Mexican government decided to waive all tariffs on the importation of Belizean products and commodities into the Mexican market.
Since then, viewers have seen different government and private sector interests from Mexico making official visits to Belize. They are taking the preliminary steps to turn the commitments between the leaders of both countries into tangible, working bilateral arrangements.
And, now, the Belize Bureau of Standards has entered into a partnership with its Mexican counterparts, which pre-dates the current government's bilateralism. Belize has been selected as a CARICOM Member State for a pilot project in which energy efficiency labels will be placed on appliances to let consumers know how much electricity an appliance consumes.
That formal agreement was signed today at a ceremony at the Biltmore. 7News was there, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:
This morning, after months of planning and discussion, Jose Trejo, the Director of the Belize Bureau of Standards, and Juan Manuel Rosales, the President of Mexico's Association of Normalization and Certification (ANCE), signed a Cooperation Agreement formalizing ties between the Bureau and the Association.
Director Trejo told the ceremony's attendees about the Bureau's focus on forging new partnerships and alliances for the continued growth and development of the institution.
Jose Trejo - Director, Bureau of Standards
"I think that this relationship here is how we will help to give the thrust we need to develop our quality infrastructure framework. We will count on these relationships that we are building here. This is not the first agreement that we've signed. We've signed an agreement with the Consumer Protection Agency out of Mexico. We've signed an agreement with ASTM International out of the United States. We've signed another agreement with Underwriters Laboratories, I believe it was last year. And today, we're signing another agreement with ANCE, and we hope that this is just going to build in terms of the cooperation that we need in developing relationships and helping us to advance our national agenda for quality infrastructure frameworks."
Juan Manuel Rosales - President, ANCE
"So, our specialization is regarding is related to electrical parts with electrical products. So I can tell you that we have something like 25,000 square meters of floor for tests, which I could translate like five-six times the size of all these buildings just for testing electrical equipment, energy efficiency, telecommunications, and some other sectors. So, now I'm happy to say that - and sometimes my team is the one that is reminding me that we are also offering different solutions regarding automotive, food and healthcare, electronics, construction, consumer products like household appliances, machinery and equipment, textile, lighting, gas industry, energy, telecom, and gas emission, and environmental solutions. Additionally, we are providing services for quality system assurances in different ways, like ISO 9000, ISO 4000, or even for accreditation, laboratory for certification. We are open to sharing with you knowledge, cooperation, and empathy, I would say, because it is not the same to have these giants around the world that certifies globally several thousands of products. But also it's important to understand what is the reality of our countries and regions."
One of the first deliverables that are expected to come out of this alliance is the launch of a pilot voluntary Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme (EELS) for Refrigerators, Air Conditioners, and Lighting. Very soon, citizens will start seeing labels with energy ratings on appliances like refrigerators, AC units, and light bulbs. It is contemplated that these labels will empower you, the consumer, with the knowledge to make smarter choices on the brands of electric appliances that are energy efficient. The officials say think that, over time, smarter consumer choices will lead to Belizean families saving money through an eventual decrease in their monthly light bills.
Deon Kelly - Rep., Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics & E-Governance
"In the short term, the general citizenry can look forward to being more informed of an appliance's energy rating and performance towards a fixed energy label. These labels are intended to give guidance to consumers when purchasing household appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and light bulbs. The energy labels will serve as a tool to assist consumers in making a more energy-conscious selection that will impact their individual energy costs. That may be reflected in the electricity bill."
Jose Trejo
"We are not telling the consumer to get rid of their appliance. What we are doing is building that knowledge and education at some point for the next purchase. One of the most important things that we're trying to push in our national quality policy and is actually goal number one is to change the culture for quality in the country. So we're not just talking about energy efficiency, but having consumers really understand the depths of quality. And I think that that is ideally what we need to do, change the culture. And I think that the market, then it will respond. Markets have to respond to changes in consumer preferences, and the more educated a consumer is, the more they will demand from the business community."
But to get to that end-state, the Bureau has to take the first few steps in capacity building toward that overall goal.
That's where the support from ANCE and the European Union comes in.
Glynn Morris - Technical Team Leader, Lait Up Belize Project
"What we are supported to do by the European Union is to work with partners like BBS to support this capacity building, for example. So, we have a budget to support this event. We have the budget to support travel expenses for ANCE or otherwise for staff from BBS and then training so that this is possible for the Belizean stakeholders. I would also introduce the topic of the customs officials, the retailers, and the salespeople on the floor at Courts should understand what the energy efficiency label is all about. And so, it's an awareness program. But as we know, awareness takes time. And so we are very happy to be able to prepare materials. You have seen the video. It's the first. There will be others."
This new partnership between these counterpart organizations also has implications for Belize's National Energy Framework.
Deon Kelly - Rep., Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics & E-Governance
"With funding from the European Union should EDF 11, Belize has obtained a 13 million Euros grant, of which some 5 million is allocated to improve energy access in rural communities across Belize that will introduce innovative solar power technologies to provide basic energy access to these communities that are currently lacking. Another 5 million has been allocated to an E-Mobility pilot project that seeks to reduce the costs of transportation and dependence on fossil fuels by introducing electric buses. A major component of these grant funds has to do with the technical assistance for the government of Belize, which will address the policy and legislative development, capacity building, and expertise and implementation of activities within the grant to ensure a robust and resilient energy sector. This technical assistance has been titled The Light Up Belize Project, for which the Belize Braille Standards, the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality CROSQ, and the Energy Unit will collaborate to implement the energy efficiency labeling program. Notably, this collaboration between ANCE and the Belize BRE standards will fortify the standardization of energy efficiency technologies and best practices in the residential and commercial sectors in Belize. The energy policy continues in its development and considers all these initiatives an effort toward achieving our greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels, reducing transmission to a robust and resilient energy sector in Belize. Improving standards and building capacity is one of the many important components that will help us achieve this energy transition."
The Bureau's Director tells us that this EELS project will have a robust public information campaign over the next few months. He adds that the energy efficiency labels may start hitting the Belizean marketplace by the end of the year. Also, citizens will begin to see more promotional videos on it as commercials on the evening news and on social media.
