PRIME MINISTER UNVEILS INNOVATING SUSTAINABILITY AT 10 th IGEM : Event Promises RM2.8 billion business leads and 35,000 visitors

10 October 2019, Kuala Lumpur – The 10 th International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2019), targeting RM2.8 billion in business leads and 35,000 visitors from 35 countries, was officiated today by Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, in the presence of cabinet ministers, ambassadors, international delegates and other dignitaries.

Spearheaded by Yang Berhormat Puan Yeo Bee Yin, the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, IGEM 2019, themed “Innovating Sustainability”, boasts a sold-out exhibition floor of over 300 booths across renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency, transport, waste, water, manufacturing and agriculture sectors, with a view to anchoring all innovation on sustainability as well as adopting sustainability across all industries to ensure a promising future of climate stability along with economic prosperity.

YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said, “Today is a great day for us to recommit to delivering on our climate change responsibilities. We have seen the emergence of a low-carbon economy that is based on improving human well-being and building social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities. Over the past couple of decades, the green economy has emerged as a strategic priority to basically transform economies into drivers of sustainability.”

“Malaysia’s progress as a longstanding proponent of balancing environmental conservation, technological innovation and economic prosperity has been underpinned by a dynamic innovative ecosystem and affirmative institutional support. The country has ramped up efforts to develop an innovative ecosystem to support new start-ups, and to garner greater inclusivity, we have promoted innovation at the grassroots level,” he added.

To encourage greater uptake of RE, YB Puan Yeo Bee Yin announced the introduction of a green tariff to enable Malaysians to opt for sustainable energy sources, as part of the Reimagining Malaysia’s Electricity Supply Industry proposal (MESI 2.0). She further elaborated that the green tariff would be in the form of a tariff rider that will give consumers an option to use energy that has been generated exclusively from renewable sources such as solar, biomass or biogas.

The Minister also launched the Malaysian Green Attribute Tracking System (MGATS), a dedicated national platform for tracking and trading of green attributes from RE generation, tasked with tracing and verifying national RE sources. MGATS will also facilitate the issuance of tradable RE certificates, which will form a key component in encouraging green investments.

YB Puan Yeo Bee Yin said “IGEM has been through a myriad of transitions over the last decade to stay relevant with changing demands related to the low-carbon economy and sustainability actions. Over the years, IGEM has shaped people’s mindsets to accelerate acceptance, adoption and appreciation of green technology products and services across ministries, corporations, entrepreneurs, businesses, and the general public.”

“IGEM is undoubtedly a powerful platform to simultaneously reach out to various stakeholders, which is of absolute importance today as it will require the coordinated efforts and contribution of all ministries, stronger partnerships between the public and the private sectors and, of course, the support of the rakyat to ensure we deliver on our country’s climate promise,” she concluded.

To strengthen institutional capability and capacity for delivering on the climate change agenda, the Minister also announced that effective 2 nd October 2019, Malaysian Green Technology Corporation, the co-organiser of IGEM, has been rebranded as the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre. The rebranded organisation will have an expanded portfolio that will include strategising climate- resilience actions, leading inter-ministerial collaborations, encouraging uptake of green technology innovations across industries and raising awareness among the general public.

The Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre will act as a hub for climate change data, policy analysis, reporting and monitoring of mitigation actions and climate change adaptation on the national level, effectively becoming the executing body for climate change and green technology for MESTECC.

To support the newly formed Centre and ensure smoother inter-ministerial engagements and collaborations, MESTECC has also established the Climate Change Collaborative Network, CCCN. This will facilitate seamless interactions with all state governments, local authorities, chambers of commerce, industry associations and non-governmental organisations to ensure that collectively we remain focused on innovating sustainability.

Sponsored by Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Cypark Resources Berhad and UEM Edgenta, IGEM 2019 features a total of 10 conferences, hosted by local and international parties such as The Nordics, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the High Commission of Canada, International Urban Sustainability and Green Building Conference, Shell Malaysia, Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Capital Markets Malaysia, Malaysia Commercialisation Year and Technology Park Malaysia.

Currently being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre till 11 th October 2019, IGEM 2019 will also be hosting multiple business networking sessions by strategic partner, the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) and business-matching partner, the Malaysia External Trade Development (MATRADE). For more information, please visit www.igem.my.

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About Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia)
Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (GreenTech Malaysia) is a government agency under the purview of MESTECC as the leading organisation in spearheading green technology for green growth & sustainability in Malaysia in line with the Green Technology Master Plan (GTMP 2017-2030).

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