2 days ago
Green cities start here
The built environment is being shaped by two powerful forces – technological innovation and climate change. Cities of the future will require architects, engineers and planners who do not just adopt these changes, but lead them. They must design neighbourhoods that are smart, sustainable, and consciously built for long-term resilience.
Across Malaysia and the broader Asean region, this shift is already underway. A generation of digital natives and the pressing realities of climate change are redefining how we design and build.
Malaysia's commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 hinges on reimagining urban spaces, demanding bold, future-focused changes in how we develop talent for the built environment.
Evolving talent
As the construction industry evolves, so must the talent driving it. Malaysia's Construction 4.0 Strategic Plan identifies Building Information Modelling (BIM), augmented reality and automation as key technologies for the future. BIM enables teams to visualise every phase of a building's life cycle while reducing waste and cost – crucial advantages amid rapid urbanisation and rising infrastructure demands.
Yet, a significant skills gap remains. Many graduates enter the workforce without adequatedigital competencies, and a recent global report highlights a shortfall in BIM-ready talent.
To address this, universities must embed digital literacy into curricula, equipping students with emerging tools such as drone surveying, parametric modelling, and digital twin simulations to thrive in a data-driven construction industry.
But technical fluency alone is no longer enough. Sustainability literacy is equally important.
Institutions are rightly introducing programmes that combine technical mastery with climate-conscious design principles, preparing graduates to meet the demands of both the digital and green economies.
Shaping the workforce
The transition to a green economy is more than environmental compliance – it is an economic opportunity, requiring the joint effort of policymakers, educators and industry leaders.
The International Labour Organization estimates that Asean could create 30 million green jobs by 2030. Malaysia's Green Jobs Portal aims to fill 200,000 green positions by the end of the decade, spanning fields such as green construction, energy-efficient systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, eco-tourism, sustainable farming, and green materials.
However, demand for green talent is outpacing supply. Preparing students for these high-growth sectors requires more than theoretical knowledge. Education systems must evolve to be more agile and responsive.
Internships, industry collaborations, and real-world projects must complement classroom learning, enabling students to solve complex challenges, work in multidisciplinary teams, and innovate within real-world constraints.
These collaborations ensure graduates develop job-ready skills aligned with industry needs and gain early exposure to Malaysia's growing green job market. At the same time, institutions must offer modular skill development, micro-credentials, digital badges, and co-developed industry modules to keep the workforce competitive in a rapidly changing economy.
Within this broader context, sustainability must inform every decision made in the built environment. Graduates must see themselves as integral to climate solutions – not just as designers, but leaders managing infrastructure, transportation systems, and public spaces.
This shift is being reinforced by national certification frameworks such as Malaysia's Green Building Index (GBI), Green Real Estate (GreenRE) and Malaysian Carbon Reduction and Environmental Sustainability Tool (MyCREST).
These standards promote performance-based evaluation, life-cycle thinking, and sustainable material choices – principles that should be embedded in every stage of education to ensure graduates are trained in life-cycle analysis, low-carbon design strategies, and systems thinking.
More importantly, graduates must adopt a mindset rooted in responsibility. A belief that their decisions have lasting environmental and public health impacts.
Climate-literate professionals are better positioned to support both national priorities and global sustainability agendas, including Malaysia's pledge to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Producing graduates who are both tech-enabled and planet-conscious is no longer optional; it is essential. These future leaders will drive the innovations that reduce emissions, shape smarter cities, and build inclusive, resilient societies.
This fusion of digital innovation and environmental stewardship forms the blueprint for Malaysia's built environment –where today's investment in talent development will determine tomorrow's competitiveness and climate resilience.
Assoc Prof Dr TamilSalvi Mari is the programme director of the Master of Science in Virtual Design and Construction at the School of Architecture, Building and Design, Faculty of Innovation & Technology, Taylor's University. A certified GBI facilitator and council member of the Malaysia Green Building Council, she advocates sustainability in the built environment, promotes environmental literacy, and shares insights on climate resilience and innovation locally and globally. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
