The Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon Carnival 2024, was held on 11-12 November 2024, concluded successfully, recording participation and attendance of over 4,500 people. The event was officiated by the Chairman of the Housing and Local Government Committee, YB Dato’ Mohd Jafni Md. Shukor. This third edition of the carnival provided a platform for students to showcase their achievements in the Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge (IMELC), SDGs School Challenge, and the RCE Iskandar Schools Exhibition. The event also facilitated discussions on climate change with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Malaysia, enabling students to voice their opinions and suggestions. Participating schools highlighted sustainable waste management initiatives, such as Single-Use Plastic-Free Policies, Kuru-Kuru Rooms, composting, and the popular KITARecycle program. These efforts underscored the commitment to sustainability education.
On the second day of the carnival, distinguished talks were delivered by lectures from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), attended by almost 100 primary school children from schools across Iskandar Puteri. One of the talks, titled ‘Internet of Things (IoT) Simplifies Smart Living’ was presented by Ts. Dr. Fariza Hanim Suhailin, a senior lecturer from Physics Department, Faculty of Science, UTM and Dr. Muhamad Amin Abd Wahab, a senior lecturer from Department of Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences, Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), UTM. The speakers introduced the concept of the IoT and explained the key elements of an IoT ecosystem. They provided examples of IoT applications in smart homes, smart healthcare, and smart farming. The session also featured an engaging demonstration of 4 IoT prototypes that can be controlled via an apps in a smartphone. Two of the prototypes were on smart farming theme, where they showcased an automatic watering system and real-time soil quality monitoring system. For the smart home theme, they demonstrated another 2 IoT prototypes to control colorful LEDs and smart house robot that can move in multiple directions (left, right, forward, backward) and grip objects, all controlled through a smartphone.
At the end of the talk, the speakers highlighted the achievements and progress they have made under two community grants of Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon 4.0 (IPRK4.0) Community Grant. These grants involved collaborative projects with Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah, and the Iskandar Puteri Agriculturalist Community (IPAC), Medini. The projects focus on integrating IoT technologies to foster smart farming, sustainable practices within these communities and further contributing to Iskandar Puteri’s low-carbon goals.
Another notable talk on the same day entitles ‘How Chemistry Saves the Planet: The Low Carbon Story’ was delivered by Prof. ChM. Dr. Zaiton Abdul Majid, a senior lecturer from Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, UTM. This session highlighted the crucial role of chemistry in addressing global challenges associated with climate change and advancing low-carbon solutions. The speaker explained how green chemistry principles are used to design processes and products that minimize waste and hazardous substances. The talk also explored how chemistry enables low-carbon technologies, such as renewable energy materials for solar panels and batteries, carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems, and sustainable fuels derived from waste and biomass. The speaker emphasized the importance of chemistry in everyday life and its impact on a low-carbon lifestyle. The session concluded with a call to action, encouraging students and researchers to pursue innovations in chemistry to combat climate change and drive sustainability.
The carnival was made possible with the support of strategic partners, including the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), Johor State Education Department (JPNJ), Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), and UTM. Congratulations to all involved in making the Iskandar Puteri Low Carbon Carnival 2024 a resounding success, fostering awareness of sustainability and climate change among the younger generation.