Greenpeace and the Bali Hotels Association in partnership with the Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) yesterday launched an ambitious energy efficiency program in Indonesia.

The program is aimed at promoting responsible tourism and climate friendly hospitality in the most "favored and frequented" tourist destination in the southern hemisphere, Greenpeace said in an announcement.

The announcement of "Switch off, Unplug, Enjoy Energy Efficient Bali' was made onboard Greenpeace flagship SV Rainbow Warrior that is docked in Benoa Harbor off Nusa Dua, venue of the ongoing United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"The Indonesian government welcomes this Greenpeace initiative to kick start a conscious effort to help offset some of the problems associated with inefficient energy usage," said Rachmat Witoelar, Minister of Environment and President of the UNFCCC.

Between October and November 2007, Greenpeace conducted a pilot survey of 15 hotels in Nusa Dua, Bali, a high-end tourist destination in Indonesia and the venue of the UN conference on climate change, to understand the existing energy and environmental conservation practices and the willingness of the hotels to introduce energy efficiency measures in the future to contribute to the global efforts to combat climate change.

"We welcome the enthusiasm of the Bali hospitality industry to engage in the global mitigation efforts and hope that the Indonesian Government will provide the necessary support and incentive to ensure that the vision of making Bali the most energy efficient destination in the world is achieved," said Gerd Leipold, Greenpeace International Executive Director.

Greenpeace is a global campaigning organization that acts to change attitudes and behavior, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. It is present in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.