Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a plan on Friday to introduce energy-saving light bulbs across the nation as part of an extended campaign against climate change.

"The goal is to create a great movement calling on all Mexican families to use energy-saving bulbs to replace ordinary lights," President Calderon told a press conference.

He said this will help the families save money, reduce government subsidies to electricity companies, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared with ordinary lights, the energy-saving bulbs will use only a quarter of energy to produce the same light and their lifespan will be 10 times longer.

When put into operation, said Calderon, the project will save 47 megawatt of power, representing a reduction of 24,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year.

The plan is an extension of the national pilot project called "Green Light" under which more than 1.15 million energy-saving bulbs will be distributed to households and businesses in five states.

Mexico's efforts to fight climate change have been recognized by the UN climate change conference currently under way in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, which on Friday gave Mexico the right to host the 2011 conference.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2009)