Sustainable infrastructure is being implemented and promoted by Malasysia's Ministry of Works through the Construction Industry Transformation Plan (CITP).

Minister of Works Baru Bian said under CITP, Malaysia's commitment towards sustainability in the construction sector 'is addressed by developing and promoting programmes and initiatives that encourage more sustainable infrastructure projects'.

He listed CITP's five core initiatives as driving innovation in sustainable construction, driving compliance to environmental sustainability ratings and requirements, focusing on public projects that lead the change in sustainable practices, facilitating industry adoption of sustainable practices, and reducing irresponsible waste during construction.

"To achieve the first of those initiatives, the Ministry of Works through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has created the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) as the Sustainable Construction Excellence Centre (Mampan), which serves the purposes of sustainable construction practices in Malaysia.

"Construction has a strong impact on the environment. The process can wreak havoc on the ecosystem and biodiversity, especially when care is not taken to prevent damage. Therefore, it is important to pursue sustainability and resilience in the effort to develop the country in a low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially conscious manner," he said in his keynote address at the 'Clean Energy Collaboration (CEC) Conference' here yesterday.

Baru said the federal government 'is now improving sustainability in construction and will continue to do so into the future'.