Recharge the planet
THE concept of green living has grown in global prominence in the last decade or so. We have become more concerned about the environment and the future inhabitability of the planet than ever before due to the rising scarcity of energy sources and the advent of global warming.
Green technology development came about the last century or so to address these concerns. Although these efforts were mostly carried out by state- owned enterprises funded by the government, in recent years, the global green markets have begun to boom.
In March, Costa Rica was reported to be running entirely on renewable energy – having done so for 75 straight days without the need to burn a single fossil fuel. The country was able to do so thanks to heavy rainfalls that enabled the nation’s hydropower plants to generate enough electricity to power the whole country.
Costa Rica’s electricity is also further boosted by geothermal, solar and wind energy sources and by the first half of the year, 98.6% of its overall electricity was sourced through renewable energy.
Costa Rica is not a unique case. Countries such as Germany, Iceland and Norway have long led the way in mixed renewable energy generation either for their domestic consumption or even to serve the export market.
The broad goals of green technology in the industry are to increase the efficiency of green energy and to minimise the use of hazardous materials as the production of toxic waste can harm the environment and the people.
While the responsibility to ensure a sustainable future lies heavily on government agencies at the national and global level, businesses too play an important role to support the policies. Car makers, household appliance manufacturers, cosmetic and personal care items producers, and property developers are just some of the industry players at the forefront of the change to a greener lifestyle.
A fertile ground for sustainable living
In Malaysia, green infrastructure is slowly but surely becoming the hallmark of solving urban and climatic challenges. According to the national urbanisation policy by the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, any urban development involving residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and mixeddevelopment land use should feature at least 10% of open space and recreational area.
Furthermore, the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association ( Rehda) established the GreenRE Township Tool in 2013 as an extension of its existing sustainability assessment tool. The tool enables developments to extend the green building assessment to neighbourhood and community levels for a wider area of evaluation.
The move is expected to drive Malaysia’s construction industry towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable operations.
Today’s modern townships feature nature components so that they adapt to the surroundings to ensure an environmentally low impact, development with less heat stress, better air quality, sustainable energy production, clean water and healthy soils as well as better shade and shelter in their design and practicality.
These self- sustaining townships are not only designed as integrated developments to provide the residents with educational, commercial, healthcare, recreational and transportation
Changes in urban lifestyle reflect ethical, environmentally savvy behaviours.
amenities within the township; a prominent characteristic of these developments is their attractive eco- friendly atmosphere.
Sustainable communities will undeniably thrive with green infrastructure that in turn benefits the country socially and economically. Urban forests and parks, manmade wetlands and green roofs are among some of the most common features in new
townships and developments across the country.
Not only do these elements help make the neighbourhood pleasant, it encourages collaboration in development decisions and promotes green practices. Engaging the community creates a shared vision for the future based on the rakyat’s and businesses’ needs and aspirations for a greener and sustainable lifestyle.