DEVELOPERS in Sabah are encouraged to abide by the Green Building Index (GBI) criterion which the State Government may make compulsory, said Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
“At the moment, the GBI is not yet compulsory, but we encourage all developers to abide by the GBI. In time to come, yes, we may want to make it compulsory,” he said.
Met after launching the Festival “I-HIJAU KKTP”: Inisiatif HIJAU KKTP, Aspirasi Sabah Maju Jaya 2023 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) in Kota Kinabalu on July 16, Dr Joachim, who is also State Local Government and Housing Minister (KKTP), said the GBI meant all developers must incorporate green technology in their developments.
“If we were to follow exactly the Federal Government’s guidelines, it is not easy to get that Green Building Index (criteria). So, what we want now is to encourage all developers to follow the GBI criteria.”
Earlier, Dr Joachim said there must be a concerted effort in dealing with climate change whereby responsibility must be borne by all parties to ensure the sustainability of the present and future generations.
“We believe the key to solving the climate crisis lies in reducing emissions and transforming society to maintain environmental sustainability,” he said.
He said the world is dealing with Climate Emergency such as flash floods, global warming and intense storms that directly impact the destruction of property, public facilities and the environment.
Significant temperature changes could also be seen in densely developed areas with no designated green spaces, contributing to the heat island effect, he added.
“This is something we need to deal with and must be implemented by all stakeholders to preserve the environment.
“We need to have a high level of responsibility and awareness in dealing with, reducing and preventing the significant negative impact of climate change.”
This was in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, including Goal 11: Sustainable Development and Communities, which is to provide comprehensive, safe, habitable and sustainable facilities; Goal 13: Climate Action, which is to take action and deal with the problem of climate change and its effects; and Goal 15: Life On Land which is the preservation and conservation of natural resources to protect the diversity of ecosystems and natural treasures.
“However, these goals only end verbally and on paper without any action by all of us.
“For this reason, the government policy stipulates the provision of a minimum of 10 per cent of open space to developers to coincide with the provision of a conducive environment.
“In addition, implementation such as the Green Building Index (GBI) is applied in building design according to the concept of sustainability where energy, water, and materials are used efficiently,” he said. He said climate analysis’s importance in design is not limited to one area.
“We need to look at it more comprehensively, for example, a Smart City design integrated with pedestrian and cycling network systems, road and transport systems with a Green concept.
“Among the Green concepts meant are sustainable digitisation and Green components in the use of solar lighting systems, rainwater harvesting systems, permeable paving materials, and the use of 5Rs which are Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Recovery.
“Also Green financing and investment for sustainable and climate-friendly development projects, including through public and private collaboration, is very necessary.”
Dr Joachim said the role of the Local Authority (PBT) in each district is also vital to create inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements.
Planning in each district should be based on a green infrastructure approach to reduce the effect of heat islands and reduce the risk of disasters related to fires, droughts, and floods.
“Efforts to expose the role of government agencies, private sector, educational institutions and the public in sustainable development towards a green and habitable environment as well as promoting Green initiatives to all must continue,” he added.
As outlined in the Hala Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan towards sustainable development, Green knowledge and practices were very important in efforts to improve the efficiency of PBT in planning development in their respective administrative areas, he said.
Therefore, he said the “I-HIJAU KKTP” Festival programme was one of the proactive measures to preserve green practices that support Sustainable Development, the SMJ Development Plan 1.0: 2021-2025, Sabah State Landscape Policy and the KKTP Initiative Towards a Low Carbon Society.
He reminded that on Nov 2, 2022, the Cabinet agreed to endorse the Sabah Landscape Policy to outline the direction at the State-level to ensure the development of a quality, orderly State landscape with distinctive landscape architecture and a preserved environment.
During the launching, an I-HIJAU declaration was also signed by the presidents and executive officers of the Local Authorities (PBT) under the MLGH as a sign of commitment and support for efforts towards the sustainability of the environment.
Also present were State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong, KKTP Assistant Minister II Datuk Mohamad Hamsan Ag Supain and its Permanent Secretary Datuk Dr Jamili Nais.
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