Kuala Lumpur Sustainability Summit 2025 Champions Regional Leadership in Climate Action and Green Growth

The summit is jointly organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) and the Ministry of Economy (KE) and led by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC) and Pusat SDG Negara. The summit attracted top management and C-suite leaders from government bodies, think tanks, corporations, SMEs, civil society organisations, and academia.

In his opening address, YB Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani highlighted that the summit has been crafted as a broader architecture to support regional resilience and global relevance. The insights, innovations and institutional partnerships that emerge over the two days must be translated into action across the ASEAN community and beyond.

High-Level Policy Addresses Reinforcing Malaysia's Commitment to Sustainability

The summit featured high-level policy addresses that reinforce the government's commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient national growth.

• YB Dato' Hajjah Hanifah Hajar Taib, Deputy Minister of Economy, emphasised the government's commitment to embedding sustainable development across national policies for long-term resilience and inclusivity.
• YBhg. Datuk Dr. Ching Thoo a/l Kim, Secretary General of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, spoke on the importance of empowering local communities and strengthening collaboration between public and private sectors to build a climate-resilient future.

• YBhg. Dato' Ts. V. Valluvan Veloo, Deputy Secretary General (Macro), Ministry of Economy, delivered the policy focus "Building Malaysia's Next Economy Towards 2030 and Beyond," outlining the government's strategy to future-proof Malaysia's economy through green innovation, digital integration, and equitable growth.

Day one of KLSS 2025 brought together leading voices shaping the global sustainability agenda. H.E. Selwin Charles Hart, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, underscored the importance of regional collaboration and shared responsibility in achieving climate resilience and just transition goals.

From Malaysia, Ms. Izlyn Ramli, Chief Executive Officer of Maybank Foundation, highlighted how partnerships between financial institutions and communities are driving innovation and inclusive green growth. Together, these perspectives set the tone for the summit's focus on collective innovation and actionable pathways towards a more sustainable ASEAN.

Day Two Highlights: Translating Ambition into Action

Day two opened with a session led by Eric Kane, Global Head of ESG Research, Bloomberg Intelligence, setting the stage for practical discussions on driving sustainability through cross-sector collaboration and innovation.

This was followed by the MGTC x Bloomberg Series Fireside Dialogue, "Engineering Sustainability: Delivering Impact at Scale," featuring Mr. Saiful Adib Abdul Munaff, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of MGTC. He underscored the importance of translating corporate sustainability ambitions into measurable and scalable impact for Malaysia's green economy.

The day continued with a series of thought-provoking discussions that explored the nation's green transition across industries - from corporate climate action and digital transformation to decarbonising Malaysia's maritime sector. The Local Spotlight on Circular Economy showcased how homegrown innovation and circular solutions are reshaping sustainable resource management.

Day two of the summit concluded with Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), delivering his message: "This Decade Decides." His remarks underscored the urgency of immediate climate action and the unprecedented opportunity before Malaysia to lead regional decarbonisation efforts.

Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Climate Resilience: A National Call to Action

A key highlight was the formal unveiling of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Climate Resilience, which signifies the regional commitment in Malaysia's national context, uniting government, business, and communities in a shared effort to strengthen climate adaptation, enhance resilience, and accelerate practical action on the ground. It invites all sectors to align with this vision, reaffirming that Malaysia's path to sustainability must be collective, inclusive, and enduring.

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