KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — In an effort to reduce Malaysia’s carbon footprint when it comes to the consumption of energy, Malaysia Green Building Confederation (MGBC) launched the “Cooler Building” campaign last May.

In an interview with Malay Mail, President Chan Seong Aun said a multi-prong approach will be adopted to reduce the cooling load in Malaysian buildings, thus making them more energy-efficient.

“The government has long recognised the importance of keeping our buildings cool in the hot tropical climate,” said Chan, who was appointed president last May.

In our climate, the greatest consumer of energy in buildings is air conditioning, he said.

“Reducing the cooling load in the building is one of the key factors in the success of energy-saving measures,” said Chan.

In Malaysia, the manufacturing industry is the largest consumer of energy, followed by institutional and commercial buildings.

He explained the electricity supply in Malaysia is generated by large power stations which burn fossil fuel such as coal, gas or oil.

“These are the largest carbon dioxide producers in the country,” he said.

Chan said MGBC has taken a further step by engaging with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), The Ministry of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment (KeTHHA) and professional bodies such as the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and developers.

“Working with the ministries and professional bodies, a by-law under clause 38A in the uniform building by-law 1984 (UBBL) was passed in 2015,” he said.

The UBBL is, however, a federal law and for it to be effected into law it must also be passed by all the respective state legislatures, he said.

By-law 38A requires all new buildings to be designed to reduce heat gain.

It consists of two parts; where part one requires heat gain through windows and walls to be less than 50 watts per square metre and part two requires all roofs to be insulated to reduce heat gain to less than 25 watts per square metre.

He noted that to date only three states — Penang, Selangor and Terengganu — have passed By-law 38A.

“We are currently working with CIDB to train contractors on how to install insulation correctly, collaborating with developers to implement By-law 38A most effectively and promoting benefits to house buyers and home owners.”

The organisation, said Chan, is in the midst of meeting up with the state legislatures of the remaining states in Malaysia such as Johor, Perak, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Sabah and Sarawak to persuade them to pass the by-law.

“These states constitute about 80 per cent of the built-up areas in Malaysia,” he said.

When gazetted, the by-law will be implemented and enforced by local authorities at the local level.

“We will work with the respective state governments to ensure smooth implementation,” he said.

Apart from the advocacy and legislation, Chan said education and promotion are also important.

“As for now, advertising campaigns through news and social media are being implemented.

“We also need to educate building professionals about how to design for By-law 38A compliance in collaboration with professional institutions,” he said.

He said universities should offer more courses on the importance of cooler buildings for the environment.