MALAYSIA Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) has received the Asia Responsible Enterprise Award (AREA) 2019 for spearheading sustainable green initiatives and creating value to the aviation industry.
The airport operator received the award for its sustainability initiatives on KLIA2 at the awards ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan.
Sixty-four projects and business leaders were honoured at the event, regarded as the top corporate social responsibility (CSR) awards in Asia which recognises corporations for championing sustainable and socially responsible business practices.
MAHB group chief executive officer Raja Azmi Raja Nazuddin said the organisation embarked on the project, “Embracing Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Aviation”, to achieve various positive environmental impacts in 2018.
Its Sustainability Framework encompasses five pillars – sensible economics, environmental consciousness, inspiring workplace practices, approachable organisation ethics and memorable airport experiences.
“As one of the world’s largest airport operators, long-term business sustainability is crucial to us. We focus on holistic value creation to address economic, social and environmental risks. Winning the Green Leadership Award is a validation of the outcomes we have achieved as a result of the strategies we have put in place,” he said.
“In the case of the development of KLIA2, we took the lead in ensuring that the infrastructure is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its life cycle. We further strengthened our commitment by establishing the KUL Sustainability Charter where we would be in a position to influence the practices of all stakeholders at our airport to be environmentally responsible.
“We hope this award will also serve as an inspiration to all our airport stakeholders to fully embrace the KUL Sustainability Charter, which is also aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” he added.
MAHB has been actively putting in place various strategies that have helped the second terminal of KLIA to exceed its carbon reduction objectives.
Examples include utilising chilled water for the air-conditioning cooling system and planning efficient lighting around the airport.
Two other key practices are the use of renewable energy via a solar farm that generates electricity for the terminal buildings’ operations, as well as the implementation of smart water efficient fittings to reduce water usage.
According to Raja Azmi, KLIA2 also managed to dispose of over 2,000 tonnes of solid waste. For renewable energy, the solar farm generated 13,452,899 kWh of electricity, representing 32% of the terminal’s consumption.
He added that the organisation’s sustainability practices was an ongoing effort where new green initiatives are constantly implemented.
*** SOURCE: This article first appeared on The Star Online
