The International Green Build Conference (IGBC) 2025 concluded today at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, having brought together over 800 delegates, two Cabinet Ministers, and some of the most respected voices in sustainable development, architecture, engineering, and finance.
IGBC 2025, themed “Adaptation Through Sustainable Innovation”, was co-organised by GreenRE and REHDA Institute with the aim of creating a high-impact platform for exchanging strategies to decarbonise the built environment, strengthen urban resilience, and drive ESG transformation across Malaysia and the ASEAN region.
Left to right:
Mr. Yeoh Su Guan (Chairman of REHDA Kedah/Perlis), Datuk Haji Muztaza (Director, GreenRE),
Tan Sri Datuk Eddy Chen (REHDA Institute Trustee), Dato’ Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip (Chairman of
REHDA Institute), Dato Seri FD Iskandar (Chairman of GreenRE), YB Tuan Nga Kor Ming (Minister
of Housing & Local Government), Tan Sri Dato’ Teo Chiang Kok (REHDA Institute Trustee), Datuk
Ho Hon Sang (President of REHDA Malaysia), Datuk Ng Seing Liong (REHDA Institute Trustee),
Datuk NK Tong (Immediate Past President of REHDA Malaysia), Datuk Rick Cheng (Director of
GreenRE), Ir. Ashwin Thurairajah (Executive Director of GreenRE), and Mr. David Chong (Chief
Operating Officer of REHDA Institute).
Left to right:
Mr. Chong Sau Min (Executive Director, Sunway Integrated Properties), Datuk Ho Hon Sang
(President of REHDA Malaysia), Dato Seri FD Iskandar (Chairman of GreenRE), YB Tuan Nga Kor
Ming (Minister of Housing & Local Government), Dato’ Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip (Chairman of REHDA
Institute), Dato’ Seri Azmir Merican (Group Managing Director, Sime Darby Property), and Razly
Mohammad Rus (Executive Vice President, S P Setia).
The event featured ministerial keynote addresses by YB Tuan Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and President of UN-Habitat 2025–2027, and YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA). Both ministers stressed the urgency of incorporating sustainability into policy, planning, and execution, as well as calling for public-private collaboration to meet Malaysia’s climate commitments.
The one-day conference saw thought leaders sharing their insights and experience in several key topics
confronting the industry today. These included:
- Raymond Lee (Ramboll, Singapore): Waste-to-Energy, Bioenergy & Carbon Capture as part of low-carbon urban strategies.
- Sunphol Sorakul (Foster + Partners, Thailand): Biophilic Elements as a Value Creation Tool in Residential and Mixed-Use Developments.
- Shao-wei Huang (Zaha Hadid Architects, China): scalable green design innovations for high-density cities.
- Ar. Catharine Arul Dass (UK Parliament): the role of BIM in heritage conservation and urban rejuvenation.
- Steven Kang (Measurement & Verification Pte Ltd, Singapore): predictive and preventive facilities
management for energy-efficient building performance. - Keren Liu (Ally Logistic Property, Malaysia): Green Smart Warehousing.
- Alexander Wu (Dormitory Association Singapore Limited): positioning Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQs) as a green asset class.
There were also two panel discussions, which examined pressing topics such as Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate and Financing the Green Transition, exploring pathways to unlock green financing,
strengthen ESG disclosures, and future-proof developments against climate and market risks.
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Datuk Seri FD Iskandar, Chairman of GreenRE, said: “At a time when climate change, ESG frameworks, and urban transformation are reshaping how we plan, design and build, IGBC offers a vital platform for businesses, policymakers, and professionals to gain practical insights from industry leaders, explore emerging technologies, and learn how to position themselves as leaders in sustainability movement. One of our key hopes is to encourage deeper collaboration across sectors between government,the private sector, local authorities, and academia in advancing Malaysia’s sustainable development agenda.”
For the first time, the conference included the Academia Participation Sponsorship Programme (APSP), a component strategically designed to bridge the gap in human capital development by providing students and lecturers with practical insights into sustainability practices and their real-world applications. It also facilitates early talent engagement between industry leaders and Malaysia’s brightest students.
Jointly Organised by Under this programme, participating students and lecturers received full-day access to all conference sessions and the exhibition. In addition, a dedicated “Meet the Industry” networking session served as a focused platform to connect APSP sponsors (namely, Affin Bank, Bank Pembangunan Malaysia, Sime Darby, S P Setia and Sunway Property) with students and academics from 12 leading public and private universities across Malaysia, with the aim of fostering interactions for new talent recruitment, internship opportunities, mentorship, and knowledge exchange.
The 12 universities that participated in this inaugural programme are Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Sunway University, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Universiti Malaya (UM), UCSI University, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), and Monash University.
IGBC 2025 was made possible through the support of sponsors Affin Group, Progressture Solar and Kansai Paint, alongside numerous partners from government, academia, and the private sector, reflecting the conference’s role as a national platform for knowledge sharing and action on sustainable development.
For more information, visit https://igbc.com.my/
