CARBON NEUTRAL
Hospital Sultanah Maliha – the world’s first hospital with LEED Gold certification in operation and maintenance v4.0.
Ts Huszian Husin
Behavioural change is essential across all regions, as staff, patients, and visitors must adapt to new practices and embrace sustainability principles. However, in rural areas where awareness and education programmes may be less accessible, overcoming resistance to change and fostering a culture of sustainability may be particularly challenging. Supply chain challenges may also be more pronounced in remote or rural areas, where access to environmentally friendly products and sustainable suppliers may be limited. Lastly, data availability and monitoring infrastructure may vary across regions, making it difficult to accurately track progress towards carbon neutrality and identify areas for improvement. Overall, the diverse geographic and socioeconomic landscape of Malaysia presents a complex set of challenges for healthcare facilities striving towards carbon neutrality. Addressing these challenges requires tailored approaches and collaborative efforts across regions to ensure that all healthcare facilities can transition towards sustainable, carbon-neutral practices.
Conclusion The Malaysian Carbon Neutral Healthcare Facilities Blueprint serves as a promising framework for steering healthcare facilities towards sustainability and carbon neutrality. Despite the varied challenges posed by Malaysia’s diverse regions and landscapes, the blueprint offers strategic guidance for mitigating carbon emissions and fostering environmental stewardship within the healthcare sector. The upcoming comprehensive GHG management guideline is set to complement the blueprint’s strategies and further MoH efforts towards decarbonisation. The guideline will provide a clear roadmap for healthcare facilities to track their carbon emissions, set specific reduction targets, and measure progress over time. While financial constraints, technological limitations, and regulatory complexities present formidable hurdles, concerted efforts and innovative solutions can overcome these obstacles. By embracing the blueprint’s strategies and addressing the identified challenges, Malaysia can pave the way for a more sustainable healthcare system that not only reduces its carbon footprint but also promotes health and wellbeing for both people and the planet.
Acknowledgement n The authors would like to thank the Director General
of Health Malaysia for his permission to publish this article.
Further reading n Engineering Services Division (2023). Carbon Neutral
Healthcare Facilities Blueprint: Towards A Future Proof Healthcare Facility. Putrajaya, Malaysia: Engineering Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
n Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (2022). Malaysia Fourth Biennial Update Report Under Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 324 pg. Report No.4.
n Imran MS, Abd Rahman NM, Mohamed R. Energy performance contracting initiative in Malaysian public hospitals. International Journal of Integrated Engineering 2020; 12 (9): 234-45.
n Kamaluddin KA, Imran MS, Yang SS. Development of energy benchmarking of Malaysian government hospitals and analysis of energy savings opportunities. Journal of Building Performance 2016; 7 (1).
n Muhammad Syukri Imran Abdullah MS, Noor Muhammad Abd Rahman, TZ Ahmad Zaidi, Khairul Azmy Kamaluddin (2019). Latest development on sustainability programme initiatives in Malaysian healthcare facility management. Proceedings of the 37th Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations, Jakarta, Indonesia.
n Abdullah MS, Imran Kamaluddin K, Abd Rahman NM. Decarbonising facilities in Malaysian healthcare. IFHE Digest 2023; 26-9.
n Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department (2021). Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025: A Prosperous, Inclusive, Sustainable Malaysia; 2021. 532 p. Available online:
https://rmke12.epu.gov.my/en.
n Ministry of Environment and Water (2021). Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint 2021-2030. Available from: https://www.
kasa.gov.my/resources/alam-sekitar/Low-Carbon-Mobility- Blueprint-2021-2030.pdf.
n Huovila P, Ala-Juusela M, Melchert L et al. Buildings and climate change: Summary for decision-makers. (2009).
n Directorate General for Communication, European Parliament (2023). What is carbon neutrality and how can it be achieved by 2050? Available online:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/ pdfs/news/expert/2019/10/story/20190926STO62270/ 20190926STO62270_en.pdf.
n Rayer Q, Jenkins S, Walton P. (2022). Defining Net-Zero and Climate Recommendations for Carbon Offsetting. In Business and Policy Solutions to Climate Change: From Mitigation to Adaptation (pp. 13-35). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
n Rauland V, Newman P, Rauland V, Newman P. (2015). Certifying for carbon neutrality. Decarbonising Cities: Mainstreaming Low Carbon Urban Development, 149-159.
n SBTi (2024). SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard v1.2. Available online:
https://sciencebasedtargets.org/resources/files/Net- Zero-Standard.pdf.
Dr Noor
Muhammad Abd Rahman
Dr Noor Muhammad Abd Rahman, B.Eng. (Hons) Electrical Engineering,
M.Sc. in Sustainable Infrastructure, PhD in Renewable Energy, is a registered professional engineer BEM Malaysia and registered professional technologist with MBOT Malaysia. He has 18 years’ experience in healthcare engineering and facility management. He is currently the head of sustainability sector in the Engineering Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Ts Huszian Husin, B.Eng. Civil Engineering from Liverpool Polytechnic, United Kingdom, is a registered professional technologist with MBOT Malaysia. He is a Certified Healthcare Facility Manager Professional, and current president of the International Advisory Council for Healthcare Facility Management. He has 30 years’ experience in healthcare engineering including facility management and is a director of engineering services division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
November 2025 Health Estate Journal 35
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