KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s first ever carbon-neutral innovation park will be completed by 2035, says Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang.
He said the park will be a part of the Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology and Innovation (MRANTI) existing park in Kuala Lumpur which will see the park’s renewable energy capacity increase from its 25% to 40% over the next decade.
“Several eco-friendly practices are already underway, aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, office and park waste, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions in the next five years.
“By 2030, renewable energy sources are planned to account for more than 35% of its energy mix,” he said during his speech at the I-Nation 2023 conference on Monday (Nov 20).
Chang added that several new Green Building Index certified buildings will also be developed at the park while existing buildings will be refurbished to support the agency's newest environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.
“This effort will also be expanded to MRANTI’s partners, vendors and other stakeholders,” he added.
MRANTI chief executive officer Datuk Wira Dr Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff said the park will aim to create a thriving global community that allows for impactful ideas to be unlocked.
“These efforts will allow more corporate and small and medium enterprises (SME) tenants to secure themselves in an eco-friendly location. This will also provide a prime location for innovators looking to advance their research, development, commercialisation and innovation (R&D&C&I) in a future that is increasingly climate-conscious,” he said.
He added that vendors working with MRANTI will also soon be required to provide evidence of ESG-related policies that guide their practices and that MRANTI will offer assisted development programmes to these vendors wherever they may be lacking in terms of ESG.
Rais also said that the park will feature ecology and biodiversity conservation and a special fund will be raised to protect the flora and fauna in the park’s 686 acres, including a 30-acre Forest Wetland Park area.
This year's I-Nation 2023 conference focused on the theme of ‘People and Planet’ which saw hundreds of players from various industries come together to discuss the possible role innovation and technology can play in advancing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda.
Held at the Connexion Conference & Event Centre here, the conference also featured a showcase by the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS) with over 30 booths highlighting some of the latest innovative and sustainable technologies in the country.
