COMPARISON OF ADOPTION OF ENERGY EFFICIENT HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES BETWEEN MALAYSIAN AND JAPANESE CONSUMERS

Abstract

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) particularly Carbon Dioxide (CO2) has been identified as the main cause of global warming. Fossil fuels provide 82 percent of the world’s energy requirement and have been identified as the largest single contributor to increased CO2 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC, 2007). It is predicted that the world’s demand for energy will increase by 44 percent from 2006 to year 2030 (Energy Information Administration USA EIA, 2009). Similar demand pattern is observed in Malaysia where the requirement for energy has increased in parallel to the national economic growth.