September 20, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier
The convention centre in Malaysia’s capital city has debuted “Sustainable September” and held a symposium and workshop to boost sustainability across the city and the tourism and business events industries.
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance (KLCCBEA) and Urbanice Malaysia Symposium, held this month, is looking to create a city centre precinct in Kuala Lumpur based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The centre also hosted a keynote and workshop by Guy Bigwood, a global expert on regenerative tourism and business events.
“We are delighted to unveil this initiative, which we plan to replicate annually every September, to add momentum and drive our sustainable operations and initiatives in line with the United Nations SDGs and our net zero-carbon pledge,” said the centre’s deputy general manager, John Burke, of the Sustainable September initiative.
“We are committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the Malaysian business events industry, the environment, society and communities at large.
“By initiating this ongoing engagement with our stakeholders and partners to create a sustainable venue, precinct and supply chain, we aim to lead by example and inspire other local industry players to follow suit,” he said.
“Through the collective effort by our KLCCBEA partners, we aim to establish the first SDG precinct in Malaysia, supporting the Malaysian Government’s SDGs and providing a blueprint which can be utilised to develop other sustainability hubs throughout the country.
“We are sure that our initiatives will help us to deliver environmentally-responsible events and provide the opportunity for clients and delegates to create long lasting positive impacts for Malaysia, whilst also attracting more international meetings to our shores now and in the future.”
The centre has been implementing various tools to reduce its environmental footprint recently, including an AI food waste tracking system, smart recycling machines and a rainwater harvesting system. The venue has also recently added a hydroponic farm on its rooftop.
