(This post is brought to you by Iskandar Regional Development)

At the end of November, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) launched the Iskandar Malaysia Low Carbon Society (LCS) Blueprint in a bid to reduce the economic corridor’s carbon intensity emissions by 50% once it reaches maturity in 2025.

The blueprint was a result of a joint effort between Japan and Malaysia, which started in July 2011. The project “Development of Low Carbon Society Scenarios for Asian Regions” was initiated by the Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS).

Sponsored by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project brought together a team of multidisciplinary researchers from Kyoto University, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Okayama University, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) with a view to defining LCS visions and crafting a road map towards LCS at the national and city-regional level. This is in line with Malaysia’s voluntary commitment to reduce the country’s carbon intensity by up to 40% by 2020 (based on 2005 levels), and the research project began with a pilot study of Iskandar Malaysia.

IRDA Chief Executive, Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, who launched the Blueprint at a side event at the 18th session of the Conference of Parties (COP18) held on 30 November 2012, said the twelve actions outlined in the blueprint will start being implemented in the first quarter of 2013.

“Some of the initial programme we have launched are the pilot project for Low Carbon Village at Felda Taib Andak, the use of CASBEE tools to assess Iskandar Malaysia’s regional environmental performance, and the launching of Iskandar Malaysia Smart City Framework.

“We are in discussion with several Japanese companies who have intentions and interests in conducting pilot projects relating to smart city concepts in Iskandar Malaysia,” said Ismail.

Ismail continued, expressing his pleasure that Iskandar Malaysia’s potential continues to be recognised at an international and global platform by successful and more developed countries, such as Japan.

It is his hope, Ismail added, that the blueprint be a rallying call for all Malaysians as well as foreign friends and partners to play a proactive part in its implementation to achieve a society that is low carbon, and a development region that is based on a green economy and sustainable and green economic growth. “IRDA’s approach in the development of Iskandar Malaysia is through a Green-focused Agenda, whereby the Authority has made a commitment that a green and sustainable environment is the focus.

“We strongly believe that the astute management of natural resources is the most important aspect of sustainable development; and sets the context within which all other factors – from land use proposals and development to social engineering, service provision and economic prosperity – must be considered,” stressed Ismail.

He further added that “without ‘the green,’ there is no sustainable development, and through strong policies backed by extensive research, IRDA will plan, manage, and develop the region through close collaboration with all stakeholders and especially the local communities, whose knowledge and intimate experiences of their environment are critical to a well-planned economic region.”

Through the Low Carbon Society research project (2011-2015), the Malaysian and Japanese research teams have come up with substantial research findings that IRDA has now interpreted into policies that can be implemented – policies and proposals that are both workable and bankable.

“The launch of the Low Carbon Society Blueprint for Iskandar Malaysia is timely because many countries are now refocusing their economic visions towards a green economy and low carbon green growth,” said Ismail, adding that IRDA intends to adopt a similar approach in the development of the Iskandar Malaysia region.

This Blueprint, with its twelve Actions, must be implemented in a timely and proactive manner by all and IRDA, as the regional authority, will play a lead role in ensuring that the Actions are carried out. UTM and IRDA’s research partners from Japan will continue to play key roles in the implementation of these Actions, in which they are the main catalysts.

———————————————————————————————————

Iskandar Regional Development
Authority (IRDA); G-01, Block 8,
Danga Bay, Jalan Skudai
80200 Johor Bahru
Tel: 07.233 3000
Fax: 07.233 3001

For further information, please visit:
Iskandar Malaysia Information
Centre (IMIC); Bay Leaf A, Danga Bay
Convention Centre, Jalan Skudai,
80200 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
OR
Contact our Customer Service Hotline
Toll Free: 1-800-88-3010
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my
All assistance is given free of charge.

———————————————————————————————————

Source: The Expat February 2013

Read more:

• Reaching an Investment Milestone with Iskandar Malaysia
• An Afternoon with the Ambassador of Mexico
• The Business Information Centre in Malaysia

What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know by commenting below.No registration needed.