PUTRAJAYA: The Housing and Local Government Ministry has achieved a historic milestone as the first ministry in Malaysia to receive the GreenRE Gold rating under the Existing Non-Residential Building (ENRB v3.3) category, reinforcing its commitment to energy efficiency, environmental responsibility and sustainable building management.
Its minister Nga Kor Ming said the recognition is a testament to the ministry's commitment to "walk the talk" by embedding sustainability into its own operations and workplace, rather than merely promoting green practices through policies and programmes.
"This achievement reflects the ministry's commitment to leading by example. As a ministry responsible for shaping sustainable communities and greener cities, we must first practise what we preach by ensuring that sustainability is embedded within our own facilities and daily operations.
"We are truly honoured to be the first ministry in Malaysia to receive the GreenRE Gold rating. This is not merely an award or certification, but a recognition of our collective efforts to improve energy efficiency, optimise resources and create a healthier and more sustainable working environment," he said.
He said that in addition to the GreenRE Gold rating, the ministry building also achieved a Gold Energy Certificate rating, further demonstrating its strong performance in energy efficiency and sustainable building management.
"Gold is an important milestone, but we are not stopping here. The ministry will continue strengthening our green initiatives and improving the environmental performance of this building, with the aspiration of moving towards the GreenRE Platinum rating in the future.
"This is our commitment to continuous improvement and to proving that government buildings can set the benchmark for energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainable practices," he said during the Certificate Handover Session held at the ministry lobby here on Tuesday (Sept 1).
The building is a 38-storey office development with four basement levels, with a total gross floor area of 117,539.73 sq m and among its key green features are:
- District cooling system: Connected to a district cooling system, achieving a Building Energy Intensity (BEI) of approximately 89.9 kWh/m²/year.
- Renewable energy & water efficiency: Equipped with a solar photovoltaic system contributing approximately 0.26% renewable energy replacement, alongside 100% water-efficient fittings throughout the building.
- Smart ventilation: Carbon monoxide sensors in the car park regulate mechanical ventilation based on air quality, optimising energy use while maintaining a safe environment.
- Energy management: Implements an energy policy to strengthen energy management, monitor performance and drive continuous improvement in energy efficiency.
- Recycling: Operates a building-wide recycling programme with designated recycling bins to encourage responsible waste management.
- Sustainable mobility: Provides EV charging stations, nearby public bus access and bicycle parking to encourage greener modes of transportation.
- Healthy & sustainable workplace: Conducts annual indoor air quality audits and provides an educational corner to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices among building users.
GreenRE is a Malaysian green building certification body that assesses the environmental performance of buildings based on criteria including energy efficiency, water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environmental quality and sustainable practices.
Nga also shared that the ministry is planning to establish a dedicated department to monitor green rating tools in the country, with the aim of enhancing recognition of these tools and encouraging more buildings to pursue green certification.
"Once the relevant department is established to oversee this sector, we will explore incentives such as lower financing costs, higher financing margins and lower tax rates as three key measures to encourage and motivate building owners and management to adopt more sustainable practices.
"During our Budget initiative meeting with the Finance Ministry this Thursday, we will put forward this initiative as part of our proposal," he added.
