For better built environments: Tengku Amir Shah (fifth from left) with Mazzucato (first from left) and Azmir (sixth from left) as well as independent and non-independent non-executive directors of Sime Darby Property at the Urban Biodiversity Conference.
KUALA LUMPUR: The inaugural Urban Biodiversity Conference (UBC) 2025 has called for nature to be placed at the centre of urban development.
The UBC also urged policymakers, businesses and communities to invest in ecosystems as critical infrastructure for climate resilience, economic progress and liveability.
Themed “Coexistence: Shared Environments for Balance and Resilience”, the conference was graced by the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
His Royal Highness said the youth must be empowered to champion biodiversity as they are the key to sustaining Malaysia’s natural heritage into the future.
“Urban biodiversity is not about returning cities to the forest but about intelligently designing our built environments to work in tandem with natural systems.
“It is timely to think beyond five-year plans,” the Raja Muda of Selangor said.
Renowned economist and best-selling author Prof Mariana Mazzucato also delivered her keynote address titled “A Mission-Oriented Approach to Climate, Biodiversity and Water”.
She challenged conventional economic thinking, calling for a bold, collaborative model that treats climate, biodiversity and water not as an afterthought but as central to how we define and deliver public value.
She urged both public and private sectors to move beyond reactive “market-fixing” and help shape markets proactively, catalysing cross-sectoral innovation and investment to tackle urgent environmental challenges.
The conference also saw the participation of a strong line-up of local and international experts.
Dr Lena Chan, former senior director of the International Biodiversity Conservation division at Singapore’s National Parks, shared how integrating biodiversity into homes, workplaces and public spaces is not just about aesthetics but essential for human health and well-being.
Drawing from decades of work in biophilic design, she offered practical ideas for making nature a seamless part of urban life.
Rika Reka specialist consultant Afzaa Aziz highlighted lessons from the Elmina Urban Biodiversity Corridor, showing how native ecosystems can be restored in city environments.
Adj Prof Dr Tan Loke Mun, who is the director of ArchiCentre Sdn Bhd and DTLM Design Group Sdn Bhd, explored how adaptability and co-existence will shape the future of cities in the face of accelerating environmental and technological change.
Panel discussions then explored how urban growth can align with environmental stewardship and how investment in nature can deliver long-term economic value.
In the first panel, speakers including Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Malaysia Forest Fund chief executive officer Datuk Shah Redza Hussein, Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre executive director Dr Dzaeman Dzulkifli and Veritas Design Group group president and director David Mizan Hashim examined strategies for creating future-proof cities where development and biodiversity can thrive in tandem.
The second panel featuring Cypark Resources Bhd chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Permodalan Nasional Bhd deputy president and group chief executive Datuk Rizal Rickman Ramli, Axiata Group Bhd chairman Tan Sri Shahril Ridza Ridzuan and Standard Chartered Malaysia chief executive officer Mak Joon Nien discussed the economic case and value of urban biodiversity, how it can reduce risk and support long-term growth.
The day concluded with a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who also delivered the closing remarks.
The session, titled “Malaysia’s Green Leap”, explored whether nature-based solutions could serve as real economic drivers, challenging participants to consider sustainability not as an ideal but as a viable strategy for growth.
The UBC attracted close to 500 participants comprising federal and state policymakers and agencies, city planners, environmental experts, industry players, non-governmental organisations and community leaders, signalling wide support for the sustainability agenda.
Sime Darby Property Bhd group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azmir Merican, in his opening address, said the conference is an initiative to establish the business case for making urban biodiversity a core part of urban development.
“As developers, it may seem counterintuitive to talk about biodiversity but that’s precisely why we must.
“What we build is important but how we build it matters just as much.
‘If we are to meet the demands of growing cities while addressing climate and ecological realities, nature must be part of the plan, not an afterthought,” he said.
According to Azmir, UBC will be a recurring platform to benchmark progress and scale impact while aligning with Malaysia’s built environment and biodiversity targets.
“It is important to note that business profitability and sustainability must go hand in hand.
“Healthy and profitable companies invest in doing good, and in doing so, build long-term value beyond the balance sheet.
“We must recognise that restoring ecosystems, not just preserving them, creates better-performing cities that attract capital, talent and investment while raising the quality of life for all.”
Through dedicated platforms like UBC, the call for policies, investments and designs that place nature at the heart of resilient, future-ready cities reinforces the need for collective action towards making biodiversity a foundation of sustainable urban development.
UBC 2025, organised by Sime Darby Property, was held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre here.
