UN-Habitat president Nga calls for innovative approaches to green economy, low-carbon industrial parks

The Star

12 hours ago

PETALING JAYA: In his capacity as the UN-Habitat Assembly president, Nga Kor Ming has called for innovative approaches to green economy and low-carbon industrial parks in a planned collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido).
The Housing and Local Government Ministry said, in a statement Thursday (July 3), that Nga who is on a working visit to Vienna in conjunction with the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025 had put forth the plan during a meeting with Unido director-general Gerd Müller at the Vienna International Centre on Wednesday (July 2).
During the meeting, Nga proposed the development of integrated international guidelines between UN-Habitat and Unido for green industrial buildings.
Under the proposed framework, UN-Habitat would advocate for the adoption and implementation of these standards among local authorities worldwide while Unido would act as the accrediting body for buildings that comply with the criteria.
The ministry said that the proposal which aims to reduce carbon emissions from industrial buildings and promote the development of low-carbon industrial parks was positively received by Müller.
It said that Nga noted that sustainable development must be rooted in job creation and inclusive economic development regardless of urban or rural areas.
'Unido has a critical role to play in this transformation, particularly through its focus areas such as the circular economy, green manufacturing and agro-industry. The time to act is now. We must create jobs and empower local councils as part of our pathway toward green inclusive cities and we need to ensure that progress is anchored in innovation and measurable outcomes,' he said.
The ministry said that other key outcomes of the meeting was the mutual agreement to reactivate the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Unido and UN-Habitat in 2017 where both parties agreed to intensify collaboration on climate-resilient initiatives and the empowerment of local councils especially in rural areas.
The ministry said Nga who was accompanied by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and the Ambassador of Malaysia to Austria and Slovakia Ikram Mohammad Ibrahim also visited the Lord Mayor of Vienna, Dr Michael Ludwig.
The Malaysian delegation also toured Vienna City Hall and is scheduled to visit Seestadt Aspern, Vienna's flagship smart district on Thursday together with Singapore's Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat.
The ministry said the tour is to explore how urbanisation can successfully integrate smart city technologies, modern architecture, green spaces, and recreational facilities while preserving Vienna's historical character and rich cultural heritage.
'Vienna's urban success story proves that with vision and strong governance, historical preservation and modern innovation can coexist. As president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, I look forward to sharing these insights with our 193 member states as well as bringing them home,' Nga said.