WHILE Penang has recorded strong economic performance over the years, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said sustainability requires looking beyond economic indicators alone.
Citing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for Malaysian States 2025 report, Chow said Penang ranked 11th nationally with a score of 67.84 out of 100.
“This serves as an important reminder that economic prosperity and sustainable development are not always the same thing.
“The challenge before us is no longer how to achieve growth.
“The challenge is to ensure growth is sustainable and inclusive for future generations,” he said when opening the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Sustainability Conference 2026.
Chow said Penang must continue strengthening its efforts in areas such as environmental stewardship, resource management, social well-being and long-term resilience.
Penang’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2024 exceeded the national average by more than 34%, while its labour force participation rate stood at 72%, higher than the national average of 70.6%, he added.
The figures reflected a strong economy and active workforce, but Chow noted that economic prosperity and sustainable development were not the same.
He said the state government remained committed to its vision of becoming a smart, green and family-focused state by 2030.
As part of that effort, the Penang Energy Framework introduced in 2024 set targets of achieving 25% energy efficiency and 10% renewable energy adoption by 2030.
He said renewable energy adoption had increased significantly through initiatives such as net energy metering and feed-in tariff programmes, while both Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) had incorporated the framework into their planning and development processes.
Earlier, PDC chief executive Abdul Latiff Abd Aziz said the corporation continued to advance sustainable industrial development through Batu Kawan Industrial Park 3 (BKIP3), where infrastructure supporting low-carbon industrial operations was being incorporated.
“Within our own operations, solar energy generated at PDC headquarters exceeded 414,000 kilowatt-hours in 2025, contributing to a renewable energy achievement rate of 22.95%, surpassing national and state benchmarks,” he said.
Abdul Latiff added that PDC had also undertaken environmental stewardship efforts, including planting 1,000 mangrove trees to support ecosystem resilience and long-term carbon reduction goals.
He said the state development agency remained committed to supporting Penang’s development while embedding sustainability into its planning and operations through its SDG-ESG Sustainability Initiative Plan 2024-2028.
Abdul Latiff said PDC achieved an 83.7% completion rate for its planned sustainability initiatives in 2025, while another 13.9% is currently being implemented.
“These achievements reflect our commitment to translating sustainability goals into meaningful outcomes,” he said.
The conference brought together more than 150 stakeholders from the government, industry, academia and sustainability community to discuss strategies for balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility and social inclusion.
Also present were state rural development, agrotechnology, food security and entrepreneurship committee chairman Datuk Rashidi Zinol and state trade and national unity committee chairman Goh Choon Aik.
