IGES-UTM Showcased Malaysian Cities’ Integrative Approach to Addressing Climate Change & Sustainable Development at UNFCCC COP 26

November 23, 2021
Awards/ Winning-Competition/ Recognition, Conference & Seminar, Impactful Project
Carbon Neutral Society, City-level Climate Action Planning, Department of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Low Carbon Society, Official Side Event, Science to Action (S2A), UNFCCC COP26, UTM-Low Carbon Asia Research Centre

Loon Wai Chau

On 13 November 2021, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) through the UTM-Low Carbon Asia Research Centre (UTM-LCARC) successfully co-hosted an Official Side Event with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan in the much anticipated 26th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that took place from 1 until 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, UK.

The Side Event, themed “Call for an integrative approach: Climate, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction and SDGs”, was organised on 10 November 2021, 11:30am-12:45pm (GMT), in Side Event Room Derwentwater and moderated by IGES’s Integrated Sustainability Centre Program Director, Dr. Junichi Fujino.

Through UTM’s effort in strategically partnering with IGES, climate actions and sustainable development efforts in Malaysia’s Capital City of Kuala Lumpur, the premier economic region of Iskandar Malaysia, and the historic and royal Muar District were showcased to international audiences comprising about 40 delegates who attended in person (observing strict social distancing rules) and some 100 livestream viewers.

Climate actions and sustainable development efforts in Iskandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and Muar primarily follow the cities’ low carbon society blueprints and climate action plans that were prepared by UTM-LCARC based on the science-to-action (S2A) approach, utilising the internationally recognised Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM).

As co-host to the Side Event, UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Prof. Sr. Dr. Hishamuddin Mohd Ali delivered a powerful Opening Speech that conveyed UTM’s strong commitment and support for an integrative approach to addressing climate change, sustainable development, biodiversity and disaster risk reduction.

*IGES-UTM Official Side Event Opening Speech virtually-delivered by UTM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & International), Prof. Sr. Dr. Hishamuddin Mohd Ali*

This was followed by an outstanding Keynote Address by IGES President, Prof. Dr. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, before UTM-LCARC Director, Prof. TPr. Dr. Ho Chin Siong took to the stage to present UTM’s important research and consultancy works in city-level climate action planning, which laid out the framework for subsequent Expert Talks by Kuala Lumpur Mayor, YBhg. Datuk Seri TPr. Mahadi Che Ngah; Iskandar Regional Authority Chief Executive, YBhg. Datuk TPr. Ismail Ibrahim; and UTM-LCARC Co-Director, TPr. Chau Loon Wai.

UTM-LCARC Director, Prof. TPr. Dr. Ho Chin Siong (left) presents UTM’s important research and consultancy works in city-level climate action planning for Malaysian cities while UTM-LCARC Co-Director, TPr. Chau Loon Wai presents the centre’s efforts and contributions to climate action planning for major capital and medium size cities in the spirit of leaving no one behind.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor, YBhg. Datuk Seri TPr. Mahadi Che Ngah (Left) presents Kuala Lumpur’s ambition and commitment to leading Asian cities towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 while Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) Chief Executive, YBhg. Datuk TPr. Ismail Ibrahim (right) shares Iskandar Malaysia’s efforts and commitment towards achieving a sustainable, low carbon society by 2030.

Riding on the significance of the COP26 Official Side Event, two important documents were officially launched during the Side Event: 1) Wangsa Maju Carbon Neutral Growth Centre 2050 – Kuala Lumpur Carbon Neutrality 2050 Pathway Summary for Policymakers prepared by UTM-LCARC and 2) Iskandar Malaysia Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2018/2019 prepared by EcoIdeal Sdn. Bhd. and UTM-LCARC.

Official launching of the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) for Wangsa Maju Carbon Neutral Growth Centre 2050 Action Plan – Kuala Lumpur Carbon Neutrality Pathway (left) and the Iskandar Malaysia Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2018/2019 Report (right)

UTM, the only Malaysian public university admitted as an Observer Organisation under the UNFCCC since 2011, has consistently brought to the global community’s attention to UTM and Malaysian cities’ efforts and achievements in addressing climate change and sustainable development since COP17. Full recording of the Official Side Event may be watched at: https://youtu.be/zQxOxPSxvm0.