A big thumbs up for the first public-private sector Sustainable Development Goals Memorandum of Understanding from (L to R) John Burke, Deputy General Manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; Alan Pryor, General Manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre; YBhg. Datuk TPr. Sulaiman bin Mohamed, Executive Director of Planning, Kuala Lumpur City Hall; TPr. Ts. Norliza Binti Hashim, Chief Executive, Urbanice Malaysia; and Dr Azmizam Abdul Rashid, Deputy Chief Executive, Urbanice Malaysia, during the signing ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
KUALA LUMPUR, 4 April – The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) and Urbanice Malaysia have recently signed the first public-private sector Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will contribute towards the SDGs of the nation and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) efforts to create a sustainable city. The MOU signing ceremony was witnessed by YBhg. Datuk TPr. Sulaiman bin Mohamed, Executive Director of Planning, DBKL.
As part of the MOU, Urbanice Malaysia will provide strategic counsel and advice to help the Centre further align its corporate responsibilities to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; enhance and execute its SDG roadmap; develop an SDG business events guideline; and expand SDG reporting. The venue, together with Urbanice Malaysia, will also be engaging with the Government and DBKL through knowledge sharing dialogues and the development of integrated urban solutions.
Elaborating on the partnership, TPr. Ts. Norliza Binti Hashim, Chief Executive, Urbanice Malaysia, shared, “This collaboration demonstrates a high level of commitment from the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre to align its activities towards achieving their SDGs goals and targets. The effort sets a great example and we hope it will drive more businesses and corporations in Malaysia towards adopting Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks to help accelerate the localisation and implementation of the country’s SDGs in line with the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030, Malaysia SDG Cities and Kuala Lumpur’s vision as a ‘City for All’.”
Alan Pryor, General Manager, the Centre, added, “This marks an important step for the Centre and Malaysia’s business events industry in contributing to and supporting the country’s adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda). We are delighted to have reached another key milestone on our sustainability journey and to be partnering with Urbanice Malaysia to build on our commitment to be a venue that operates in a responsible and sustainable manner. We also hope this pioneering public-private collaboration will help lay the foundations and inspire many more public-private sector SDG partnerships in the future.”
He continued, “International meetings and events are now designed through the lens of sustainability, with the intention of leaving behind a lasting legacy for the local communities where the event is hosted. As an industry leader and a world-class venue, we support Malaysia’s sustainable journey and will endeavour to increase its global competitiveness and destination attractiveness to increase the number international conferences and exhibitions hosted in the country. By aligning our SDGs, establishing an SDG-focused framework and engaging directly with the Government and DBKL, we will be able to create more sustainable events and attract additional international events to our shores moving forward.”
The Centre has retained its EarthCheck (world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism) Silver certification for the third consecutive year. The certification recognises the Centre’s efforts to decrease energy consumption equivalent to 1,278 four-person households per year; reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions equivalent to 1,938 cars’ worth of annual emissions; lessen potable water consumption equivalent to 46 Olympic-sized swimming pools; decrease waste sent to landfills equivalent to 58 smart cars; and increase financial savings. The venue also recently designed and installed a zero-energy rain water harvesting system, with 80% less cost. The Centre was also the first venue to have partnered with Food Aid Foundation and has fed thousands of people in need during the Movement Control Order (MCO) and recent flash floods in the Klang Valley.
“Our sustainability priorities are centred around waste management, energy management and community care. In 2019, we established a cross-departmental SDG taskforce that worked tirelessly to raise awareness among our staff, identify areas of improvement and manage the implementation of change within the organisation. We have since made some remarkable progress that has inspired us to deepen our commitment to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. This led us to explore collaborative opportunities with Urbanice Malaysia and we look forward to embarking on this new journey together,” Pryor concluded.
For the latest news and highlights at the Centre, visit the Centre’s Newsroom at www.klccconventioncentre.com or follow on social media (Facebook - @klccconventioncentre, LinkedIn - Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Twitter - @klccconvention and Instagram - @klccconventioncentre).
For the latest news and highlights of Urbanice Malaysia, visit the website at https://www.urbanicemalaysia.com.my/ or follow on social media (Facebook - @UrbaniceMalaysia, LinkedIn – Urbanice Malaysia, Twitter - @urbanicemsia and Instagram – @urbanicemalaysia).
