IPOH: The city has once again earned international acclaim, this time with a prestigious accolade from the United Nations: the Ipoh Doughnut Economics initiative has been selected to receive the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award.
Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin and Ipoh Doughnut Economics City chief executive officer Dr Zulqarnain Mohamad were in Queretaro, Mexico, to accept the award during the World Habitat Day celebration yesterday.
The “Doughnut Economy” is a model that seeks to balance humanity’s needs with the planet’s ecological boundaries, where societal well-being coexists with environmental sustainability.
Retired photographer Chen Chee Kong, 75, said any recognition from an international body is good for the city and its people.
“This is something we should be proud of and I believe Ipoh deserves to be famous. I hope this can inspire more people, especially the next generation, to appreciate what they have and to do more for the city,” he said.
In a letter dated Aug 27 from UN-Habitat executive director Anaclaudia Marinheiro Centeno Rossbach, it was stated that the decision to choose Ipoh for the award was unanimous.
The decision was based on efforts to transition the city from a resource-intensive economy to a regenerative model focused on health, waste management, and ecotourism, aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.The initiative was launched in March last year with a Yayasan Hasanah grant and is a collaboration between the city council, Sunway University’s Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Institut Darul Ridzuan and the cultural agency People of Remarkable Talents.It is one of the flagship programmes under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 development roadmap to turn Ipoh into a Doughnut Economics City by 2027.
A trader, identified only as Mohd Kassim, 38, said he hopes the recognition would encourage more people to get involved in sustainable initiatives and programmes.
“We have often talked about recycling, preserving the environment and encouraging a circular economy. I really hope we can see more efforts like this for the future of our younger generation,” he said.
Ipoh City Watch president Prof Richard Ng said the award was timely and important for the city council to help uplift Ipoh into prosperity.
