Envoy on what makes a city sustainable
Published on: Monday, May 11, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Developing a bicycle infrastructure and cleaning up the canals and harbours, are among the examples in the 'Copenhagen Solutions' for sustainable cities to reduce CO2 emission.Denmark's Ambassador to Malaysia, Nicolai Ruge said those two examples are what Copenhagen has done in order to further its green development.He said investing in sustainability approaches and green technologies will bring in many returns that are measured in more than just environmental terms.
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While most of the world's wealth is created by urban residents, he said they are also responsible for about 75 per cent of all CO2 emissions, which is the main culprit behind the global climate change that all nations are experiencing and Malaysia is no exception. "Just look how both droughts and floods have filled the headlines in recent years and it is evident that we need to act to reduce our carbon footprint. Hence, Copenhagen has decided to lead the way with an ambitious 'Climate Adaptation Plan' to become CO2 neutral by 2015 through using our sustainable solutions. Ambitious – but not unrealistic."Reducing CO2 emissions is, however, just a small part of being a sustainable city and more importantly, it is also about expanding the economy and ultimately improving the quality of life of the residents. I will give just two of our examples: bicycles and water."Building up a bicycle infrastructure in city areas allows more people to choose the bicycle as a means of city transport, which in turn leads to both improved health and less carbon dioxide (CO2) emission," he said.
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Ruge said this in his remarks during the launch of the exhibition on the 'Copenhagen Solutions' at the International Property Exhibition (IPEX) 2015 in Suria Sabah Shopping Complex here on Thursday.City Hall Director-General Datuk Yeo Boon Hai officiated the IPEX 2015 that was organised by the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Sabah Chapter.
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Also present were PAM Sabah Chapter Chairman Jebb Liew, its immediate past chairman Victor Wong and the organising chairman Shariman Abdullah."Cycling has always been a Danish way of life, but Copenhagen has gone one step further and made cycling integral to urban planning. The majority of Copenhageners choose inexpensive, quick and convenient cycling as their preferred way of getting around. In fact, one out of two Copenhageners use the bicycles as a means of transport to get to work, to school, visit friends or fetch the daily groceries. "But how did bicycling become such a popular means of transport? Generally by making sure that there are no missing links in the bicycle net. First, dedicated bicycle lanes is a standard ingredient of any road. Secondly, the public transport network is constantly being improved to make it easier for the Copenhageners to bring their bike on public transport, in particular the metro and commuter trains."Thirdly, so-called 'bicycle super highways' have been built in order to make biking faster and more safe; Fourthly, an abundance of cargo bikes have been designed and put on the market by private entrepreneurs which is ideal for fetching your daily fresh groceries and a final example, traffic lights on major roads have been adjusted so bicycles travelling at the normal speed of 20km per hour would not have to stop for the red light. Cars may have to stop, but not bicycles as they are given priority," said Ruge.As for national health expenses, he said a huge study concluded that for every kilometre biked per person in Denmark, the cost of healthcare is reduced by RM3."Let me use myself as an example … before I moved to Malaysia, I commuted by bicycle from home to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the heart of Copenhagen. "The total distance back and forth was 14 kilometres which amounts to a reduction in national health expenses of almost RM50 a day or RM17,000 a year. That is worth getting up on the bike for," he said.Ruge said he has full respect for the way City Hall intends to spur greater interest among the citizens of Kota Kinabalu for bicycling. He was impressed with the construction of a pedestrian and cycle path stretching approximately 25km from Tanjung Aru to Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) saying it is a commendable initiative of City Hall."Cycling-inclusive urban planning will make cycling more attractive, enhance safety and will definitely simulate green mobility and give citizens an incentive to choose a more healthy choice of transportation."Bicycling is becoming increasingly popular in Malaysia, which is also as a means of daily transport in cities like Kuala Lumpur. In fact, I have discussed this on many occasions with the Kuala Lumpur Mayor who has visited Copenhagen twice to learn about what makes it one of the most liveable cities in the world."I have joined him on several of his KL Car-Free Sunday mornings for a tour of KL city centre by bicycle and would be happy to do something similar here," Ruge said.Another example of how investing in sustainability brings not only social benefits, but also financial benefits, he said, is on water treatment."Just like Kota Kinabalu, Copenhagen is situated along a waterfront. By a complete modernisation of the sewage system, the water quality in the harbour of Copenhagen improved so much that it is now possible to swim in it."Today, the harbour area is one of the trendiest spots in Copenhagen where it is bustling with kayaks, rowing boats, people swimming, BBQ parties and couples strolling along the piers and canals."Indeed, cleaning the water in the harbour improved not only the marine environment and the smell, it also brought business back to the harbour area, and local real estate prices went to 50 per cent," he said.Here in Kota Kinabalu, Ruge said there is the Sembulan River beautification and cleaning project that has not only helped to improve the water quality but is already changing the character and liveability of entire neighbourhoods. He said such efforts are completely in line with the growing environmental awareness at state and federal levels here in the country.Other examples of how Copenhagen has been working towards becoming CO2 neutral in 2025 which can be studied in the 'Copenhagen Solutions' exhibition, Ruge said, are the extensive use of renewable energy in particular wind power, as well as the use of district heating and district cooling, among others."Considering how Malaysia is rapidly urbanising, how climate change is evident here too, how clean water is a challenge and how fuel and electricity costs are rising, it is my hope that our exhibition on 'Copenhagen Solutions' will inspire urban planners, architects, citizens and authorities in Kota Kinabalu to continue finding new ways of greening the city and thereby making Kota Kinabalu an even more attractive, productive and liveable city than it already is.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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