KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): Green rating and certification organisation GreenRE Sdn Bhd has surpassed 500 million sq ft of certified green building space by gross floor area as of March 2026, a milestone its chairman Datuk Seri Fateh Iskandar Mohamed Mansor (F D Iskandar) said reflects a broader shift in Malaysia’s property sector from sustainability commitments to actual implementation.

Announcing the milestone at the soft launch of International Sustainability Week (ISW) 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) on Tuesday, F D Iskandar said the industry had reached a turning point, moving from “intention to implementation” and from “compliance to performance” as developers grapple with rising energy costs and tighter regulations.

“In a cost-constrained environment, sustainability is no longer about aspiration. It is about performance, lowering resource consumption, managing operating costs and building assets that remain competitive over the long term,” he said.

F D Iskandar added that energy had become more than just a utility expense for developers, describing it as a design constraint, a financial consideration and increasingly a regulatory requirement amid higher development costs, tighter margins and growing affordability concerns.

He said the 500 million sq ft figure covered projects not only in Malaysia but also overseas, including in the United Kingdom, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, GreenRE has also updated its building rating tools to keep pace with tighter regulations and growing industry expectations.

F D Iskandar said the revised tools were intended to strike a balance between tougher sustainability requirements and what developers are realistically able to implement, allowing the industry to improve through incremental yet meaningful improvements.

The rating tools will expand their assessment beyond conventional environmental measures to include indoor environmental quality, occupant comfort and mental wellbeing, among others.

“This goes beyond traditional environmental metrics … recognising that buildings must not only be efficient but also support the health and quality of life of the people within them,” said F D Iskandar.

Also speaking at the event, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the built environment must play a bigger role in helping Malaysia respond to rising energy costs and climate pressures.

“Green buildings are, quite simply, future-proof assets,” he said, noting that investors and tenants are increasingly seeking buildings that are more efficient and resilient.

Arthur added that the government also provided incentives to support the transition, including the Green Investment Tax Allowance, Green Technology Financing Scheme 5.0 and tax deductions for adaptive reuse projects, for instance.

He also said the upcoming National Climate Change Bill would introduce a monitoring, reporting and verification system alongside a national carbon registry. He has set a target for the bill to be tabled by June or July this year.

Jointly organised by GreenRE Sdn Bhd and Qube Integrated Malaysia, ISW 2026 will be held at Mitec on Sept 10 and 11. The event is expected to attract 1,500 conference delegates and 5,000 visitors, with more than 100 exhibitors and over 20 speakers from across the region.

Themed “From Certification to Transformation: Building a Net Zero Future Together”, the platform aims to link standards and certification with real-world project delivery. ISW 2026 will feature two integrated components: the International Green Build Conference (IGBC) and GreenScape: International Green Innovation Exhibition.