(From left) MDEC strategy and policy senior vice-president Dr Sumitra Nair, Mahadhir and Faroze at the MOU signing ceremony.
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UN Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGCMYB) to increase adoption of sustainability and climate action across the nation’s digital economy.
UNGCMYB is the local network of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) which aims to start a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders.
UNGCMYB works to activate businesses in Malaysia and Brunei to be more sustainable and profitable.
MDEC and UNGCMYB will work together to raise awareness in a few key areas of the digital economy.
Firstly, they will develop a climate action guide and toolkit for digital businesses to help them assess their carbon footprint.
They will also explore ways to help small and medium tech enterprises gain access to sustainability elearning programmes and promote elearning resources, including through the Digital UNGC Academy.
MDEC and UNGCMYB then aim to encourage digital economy businesses to adopt initiatives that address climate change, for example, turning to renewable energy or energy-efficient measures.
Next comes promoting sustainable practices among tech organisations to help them achieve sustainable performances.
More outreach and engagement events will be developed to help achieve all the goals.
The MOU builds on existing cooperation between both organisations, namely the Malaysia Businesses Sustainability Pulse Report 2022.
It was launched on July 14 and aimed at gaining an understanding of the readiness of Malaysian businesses in adopting, managing and monitoring sustainability within their organisations.
MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz said the public-private approach on sustainable action had been made a national priority as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), which is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Sustainability is an important goal that goes hand in hand with the development of a thriving digital economy.
“MDEC, as the lead agency in advancing Malaysia towards becoming a globally competitive digital nation, is fully committed in encouraging sustainable practices in the ecosystem.
“Businesses may find it difficult to achieve SDGs as these goals can appear to be beyond their grasp.
“Part of the efforts following this MOU signing is to help provide resources and actionable items that can be easily adopted,” he said.
UNGCMYB executive director Faroze Nadar said, “This partnership with MDEC is one step towards realising a Malaysian digital economy that will be a key catalyst for sustainable nation building and a contributor to global SDGs.”
The MOU is aligned fully with the Malaysian government’s priority to become a carbon-neutral nation by 2050 as outlined in the 12MP.
