The Sepang Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Sepang (MPSepang) is tasked with the responsibility of providing services and basic amenities to all Sepang residents under the 1976 Local Government Act (Act 171). As a local municipal council, MPSepang is also responsible for the Development Plan and Community Service Plan.
As part of its commitment to establishing a low carbon city by 2030, MPSepang has designated Cyberjaya as its pilot city.
Mission of Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang)
MPSepang will use the LCC 2030 challenge as a benchmark to enable the relevant stakeholders and agencies to carry out the development of the city whilst reducing GHG emissions. The mission of MPSepang is to reduce carbon emissions for Cyberjaya by 40% by 2030.[1]
LCC 2030 Challenge – 2020 Assessment[2]
Zone | Baseline | Audit | Reduction | Reduction |
Cyber 1 | 7,970.47 | 5,628.69 | 2,341.78 | 29.38 |
For LCC 2030 Challenge assessment period of 2020, MPSepang was able to achieve carbon emissions savings of 2,341.78 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to an impressive reduction of 29.38% from the baseline.
MPSepang’s Commitment @ Cyber 1[3]
Water & Waste: Wide application of smart / green technology in managing resources
Greenery: 5% increase in carbon sequestration from baseline
Mobility: 7% coverage of integrated green mobility network by 2030
Energy: To reduce 5% electricity usage every year
MPSepang’s Objectives for LCC 2030 Challenge[4]
The following are the three objectives that MPSepang have set for themselves:
- Creating Cyberjaya Low Carbon Community Lifestyle.
- To measure the performance of carbon emissions for Cyber 1, Cyberjaya.
- To reduce the yearly operational cost – focusing on energy, water, waste, building maintenance and landscaping.
LCCF Applicability[5]
During the screening process for LCCF Applicability, Cyber 1 met 14 of 15 performance criteria and 33 of 41 sub criteria and was rated as “Very Good” as it had an average score of 72.04% across the assessment criteria.
Tenets in creating a Sustainable City[6]
MPSepang’s City Roadmap has identified and integrated four key concepts towards establishing a sustainable low carbon city. These concepts are:
- Urban Environment
- Buildings
- Urban Infrastructure
- Urban Transportation
LCC 2030 Challenge Assessment 2019[7]
In 2019, based on the Baseline Revision for Cyber 1 – Year 2016, the municipality was awarded three (3) Diamonds.
Smart City Sepang[8]
MPSepang has embraced the use of information and communication technologies which have increased the efficiency of operation, enhanced the sharing of information between agencies, and improved the overall quality of its civil service to the benefit of its residents.
To aid in the planning and monitoring of its domain, MPSepang has invested in the development of several proprietary technologies which provide much utility:
EKM
An interactive Planning Permission application developed by MPSepang for the purpose of monitoring and processing the application of Planning Permissions.
iSEPANG
A mobile application developed by MPSepang that enables people to book and pay for facilities online, check and pay for assessment online, as well as access various publications by MPSepang at their fingertips.
Safe City: Local Agenda 21[9]
Local Agenda 21 (LA21) is a programme which brings together members of the community, private sector stakeholders and civil agencies towards creating a sustainable city which takes in to account economic, social, and environmental factors. The mission of LA21 is “Building a Sustainable City Together!”
The tripartite partnership-based model that LA21 utilises allows for ‘bottom up planning’ that makes use of the feedback and on-the-ground knowledge from stakeholders that understand their territories. This allows for the local community to be directly involved in the identification of problem areas, which will then be studied for implementation under the City Action Plan.
Successful endeavours by LA21 thus far include the following:
- The Community Orchard
- The Neighbourhood Farms
- LA21 Recycling Programme
- LA21 Tree Planting Initiative
- MPSepang Clean Zone
- The Safe City Programme
MPSepang Low Carbon City Elements[10]
MPSepang has identified four focus areas in building a low carbon city:
- Green Linkage
The Green Linkage aims to connect greenery areas into a network that flows throughout the city. This integrates natural green areas into the planning and development of residential and commercial areas. The goal is to create a harmonious balance between housing areas, bodies of water, recreational areas, open spaces and commercial spaces.
- Green Transportation
MPSepang has implemented a multi-pronged approach to transportation with emphasis placed on three key facets:
- Bus Stops
New bus stops are developed and old ones are upgraded to incorporate solar panels, be handicap-friendly and have CCTVs installed.
- EV Charging Stations
Supporting the push towards electric vehicles by placing EV chargers in key locations throughout the city, especially in commercial areas.
- Bicycle Parking Bays
New bays have been developed to encourage residents to cycle, especially in the main city centre. The new bays are integrated with cycle paths throughout the city and with bus stops at key localities.
- Green Building
For all new enterprise developments in the city, it is mandatory to adhere to the National Green Building Guidelines. Meanwhile, commercial, residential, industrial and government offices are encouraged to adopt green building practices.
- Solid Waste Management
To ensure ease of access for recycling, MPSepang has built several standalone recycling centres to service their communities. They have also mandated that all strata houses must have a 3R recycling setup.
MPSepang Green Initiative Programmes[11]
Carbon Sequestration @ Cyberjaya
An initiative by MPSepang that is accessible to the public. 200 trees are tagged with QR Codes that enable the public to identify the species of the tree with their characteristics as well as their rate of carbon absorption.
Green Development @ Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya
MPSepang has successfully imposed an additional 5% vertical greenery in the development of Cyberjaya. Tamarind Square is the best showcase of this, where its fine landscaping has attracted tourists to the area and helps to promote the local economy.
Awards & Accolades
MPSepang has won numerous achievements for their environmental practices. They were awarded the following:
- 45th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva -29 – 2/4 2017 – GOLD AWARD (V CATEGORY) ENVIRONMENT = ABBF, SILVER AWARD (CATEGORY P) AUTOMOTIVE = FLEXI PARKING.
- Green Innovation Special Awards 2017 by the Selangor State Government – for the international recognition (Geneva) = ABBF and FLEXI PARKING.
- Special Award by Plan Selangor @ JPBD Selangor for the Implementation of Low Carbon City Framework by Selangor’s Local Council – 2017
- Selangor State Innovation Award (AINS) 2017 – Local Council Category = ABBF
- Malaysia Technology Expo (MTE 2019) – The 18th International Expo on Inventions and Innovations – Public Service Innovation Awards – Gold award = ABBF, Bronze Award = smart City Parking
References
[1] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg5]
[2] LCC2030C Audit Report
[3] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg6]
[4] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg8]
[5] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg20]
[6] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg21]
[7] MPSepang Low Carbon City Assessment Report (Blueprint Implementation Document), Cyber 1 Cyberjaya 2016-2018-2019 – Sepang Municipal Council [pg28]
[8] Garis Panduan Pembagunan Mampan @ Sepang – Majlis Perbandaran Sepang 2019 [pg39-40]
[9] Garis Panduan Pembagunan Mampan @ Sepang – Majlis Perbandaran Sepang 2019 [pg7-21]
[10] Garis Panduan Pembagunan Mampan @ Sepang – Majlis Perbandaran Sepang 2019 [pg28-34]
[11] iGEM 2020 – Virtual Microsite – https://virtual.igem.my/virtual/exhibition-hall/