Environmental sustainability in development
The transportation industry may be one of the nation’s biggest contributors to carbon emissions, but Malaysia is finding ways to reduce them as much as possible.
I RECALL reading a news story a few months back about a trillion-tonne iceberg breaking off from an Antarctic ice shelf, leading some scientists to believe that this could raise global sea levels if the trend continued.
Although the impact is not imminent, rising global sea levels may shrink Malaysia by a staggering 10% if climate change persists, according to some estimates.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar recently highlighted that this could potentially cause the loss of the Rejang Valley in Sarawak, and other coastal and low-lying areas in Sabah, Kedah and east coast states by 2100.
We may not be here to witness it when it happens, but this is not the case for our future generations.
As our country continues to develop into a high-income nation by 2020, environmental sustainability is one element that cannot be sidelined. It is therefore crucial that we aggressively, but cautiously, implement effective policies to protect the environment.
Such policies will need to be far-reaching, future-oriented and with the greater good in mind. Although difficult to ignore, all other factors beyond this should be secondary and we should not allow ourselves to succumb to the interests of a few vocal opponents.
Every decision and action we take in relation to our environment is a one-way street that we and our future generations will need to travel through.
In the area of transportation, which serves as the backbone of growth to our economy, it is more vital than ever to initiate, implement and embrace processes that are both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Such efforts should not only be limited to adopting biofuels or electric vehicles, but should also cover how we approach the transportation industry as a whole.
The triple bottom-line path to economic, social and environmental sustainability
One of the more contemporary concepts we have implemented is Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). More than just a set of planning principles to connect communities to quality public transportation, TOD also encourages people to depend less on personal vehicles for mobility.
Kuala Lumpur is currently in the early stages of developing an integrated modern rail network compared to many other modern cities in the world, but adopting a sound TOD policy empowers people with the choice to walk, cycle or take public transportation.
This is an urban development response to growing traffic congestion and carbon emissions.
The MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line is a good example to illustrate this point. Against the backdrop of criticism due to the size of the project and of the funds required for it, the MRT SBK line braved the storm and proved itself necessary for the country’s growth.
Apart from providing better connectivity and accessibility, the project was also carefully planned to ensure TOD goals were achieved.
This is seen in various developments along the line such as the Tun Razak Exchange, Merdeka PNB 118, Bandar Malaysia and Kwasa Damansara.
I am confident that future projects like the MRT Line 2, which runs from Sungai Buloh to Serdang to Putrajaya (SSP) and the LRT3 that stretches from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, Klang, will bring about more TOD in the country.
Changing the way we operate our transportation industry
As one of the 194 countries that formalised their commitment towards tackling global warming through the Paris Agreement, I am proud to say that Malaysia has, over the years, worked hard on its response to climate change.
In the transportation sector, there are in motion a slew of initiatives to effect positive change.
In the case of Malaysia’s largest port, Port Klang, the two operators, Northport and Westports, have adopted and implemented green technologies such as ship and domestic waste management systems and the use of energy-efficient lighting and indoor cooling systems in the port areas.
In November 2016, Port Klang’s efforts were recognised by the APEC Port Services Network, which presented it with the Green Ports Award Scheme.
As for the aviation industry, the Transport Ministry is currently drawing up a policy to encourage airlines to switch to “green airplanes”. Green features built into airplanes will allow them to fly cleaner and quieter.
While this policy is being developed, I am pleased to see that some airlines have already taken their own initiative to move towards a greener, environmentally sustainable future.
Earlier this month, for instance, Malaysia Airlines signed an MOU with Boeing for 16 new airplanes which will be far more fuel-efficient and produce fewer carbon emissions.
The same goes for AirAsia, which is the first airline in South-East Asia to operate the Airbus A320neo aircraft. This will allow them to deliver fuel savings of approximately 15%, equivalent to more than 1,600kg of carbon emissions.
Additionally, earlier this week, KLIA2 became the first in South-East Asia to be officially rated Gold for the globally recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building certification. The award is a testament to our commitment to improve the environmental and social impact of our operations.
Part of our responsibility
Global warming today is no longer a concept up for debate, but a fact that we can no longer ignore.
While the transportation industry is widely considered one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, I believe this will unfortunately remain, as long as development continues. What matters is self-awareness, taking the initiative to tackle the issue and finding ways to reduce the emissions as much as possible.