Malaysia’s Green Building Drive Anchored Net Zero Push

At the International Green Build Conference (IGBC) 2025, Malaysia positioned itself as a regional leader in sustainable development, unveiling strategies to transform the built environment and accelerate the nation’s journey towards net-zero emissions. Deputy Prime Minister II, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, emphasized that the conference marked a vital convergence of ideas and solutions shaping a low-carbon and climate-resilient future. A major highlight was the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (EECA) 2024, which had established a comprehensive framework for efficient energy use across all sectors. Fadillah announced that the government would soon roll out the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2026–2035 (NEEAP 2.0) to scale energy savings and further reduce emissions nationwide. Complementing these efforts, the GreenRE Energy Certificate was showcased as a tool to advance measurable carbon tracking, benchmarking, and renewable integration in the construction sector. The built environment was recognized as central to Malaysia’s net-zero strategy. With more than 400 million square feet of certified green building space across 800 projects, Malaysia had already emerged as a hub for sustainable construction. Fadillah underscored the importance of partnerships with industry, financial institutions, and regional stakeholders to unlock investments in climate-resilient practices. Looking ahead, Malaysia reaffirmed its target of achieving 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050 through solar, biomass, biogas, and hydrogen. PETRA also initiated a feasibility study on nuclear energy, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to evaluate their potential role in complementing renewable deployment. The conference concluded with a call for cross-border collaboration, innovation, and talent development to ensure that the nation’s built environment continues driving sustainable transformation.