International Green Build Conference 2025 will see largest participation of 800

• REHDA Institute and GreenRE will be investing RM100,000 to sponsor key students and academics from over 10 Malaysian universities to nurture a new generation of leaders in sustainability and green development.

PETALING JAYA (June 18): The International Green Build Conference (IGBC) 2025 will see over 800 participants from various government sectors, industry players, academics, and representatives from more than 25 local authorities. This will be the largest IGBC held since the event’s inception in 2019.

This was announced by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute and GreenRE in a preview today for the IGBC 2025, which will be co-organised by the two parties.

“We hope this conference will be a critical platform for discussing and funding sustainability, building for leadership, and integrating sustainable development principles into urban planning. We believe that IGBC 2025 will reinforce the construction sector, as we believe that the construction sector must be a leader of climate action, innovation, as well as social responsibility,” said GreenRE chairman and Rehda Institute trustee Datuk Seri FD Iskandar at the press conference.

The theme for IGBC 2025 will be “Adaptation through Sustainable Innovation”, and will be held on Aug 19 at the One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya.

“This theme reflects a timely focus on climate challenges and initiatives, as Malaysia steps into a leadership role as president of the UN-Habitat Assembly from 2025 to 2029 and the Chairmanship of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). GreenRE and their organising committee is proud to play a supporting role to green and sustainable initiatives,” added Iskandar.

Speaking on the relevance of IGBC 2025 in today’s property development landscape, Rehda Institute chairman Datuk Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip emphasised the importance of collaboration and alignment between all stakeholders on the adoption of sustainable practices.

“I think it's very clear that we are losing the battle with climate change, but we need to win the war. And the only way to do this is to ensure that what this green agenda is all about is readily understood by all stakeholders. Whether it is financiers, developers, planners, NGOs, or civic societies—everybody needs to be aligned to get those sustainability objectives met,” said Ng.

“From the perspective of GreenRE and Rehda Institute, our focus with this conference would be on the various stages of what property developers do. We want IGBC 2025 to be a space where we can learn from all the experiences of our experts, and to share ideas, solutions, and best practices. If that is done on a continual basis, then I think that we are definitely going to be giving ourselves a fighting chance to win this war,” added Ng.

“Since GreenRE’s inception in 2013, approximately 150 million sq ft of buildings in operation have been certified, and have achieved around 20% reduction in carbon emissions. But we have 15 billion sq ft of real estate in the country, so that is less than 1% of buildings.

“IGBC 2025 is not just about knowledge exchange, it is also about making a statement to the position makers. The private sector is very serious, and a win-win ecosystem needs to be created to drive adoption quicker,” said GreenRE executive director Ir Ashwin Thurairajah.

A major addition to IGBC 2025 will be an interactive exhibition that will showcase real-world solutions, green innovations, and technologies aimed at reducing carbon emissions, enhancing urban resilience, and achieving net-zero targets.

Another first move introduced in conjunction with IGBC 2025 is a collaboration with over 10 Malaysian universities, including Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) to sponsor key students and academics to attend IGBC 2025. RM100,000 will be invested in grants to the collaborating universities, as an initiative by Rehda Institute and GreenRE to nurture a future generation of green builders and leaders in sustainability.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, and deputy prime minister and Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister of Datuk Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof are expected to attend the conference and deliver ministerial keynote addresses.

IGBC 2025 will feature a line-up of international and local speakers including Zaha Hadid Architects associate director Shao-wei Huang, UK Parliament architect Catharine Arul Dass, Ally Logistics managing director Keren Liu, and Bukit Kiara Properties group managing director Datuk NK Tong, among other prominent voices in sustainable development.

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