ASEAN Honours Green Cities At 6th ESC Awards And 5th COR Ceremony

LANGKAWI, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- The 6th ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities (ESC) Award and the 5th Certificate of Recognition (COR) ceremony took centre stage here tonight, celebrating cities across the region for their leadership and innovation in building greener, more liveable and resilient communities.

Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said that the event, held in conjunction with the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) and its related meetings, honoured cities that have demonstrated exemplary practices in environmental management and sustainability.

“I warmly congratulate all awardees. Your achievements are a source of pride for your nations and an inspiration for us all, as we work together to realise our shared vision of a greener, more sustainable and more resilient ASEAN,” he said in his welcoming remarks at the Ministerial Dinner of the 18th AMME at Parkroyal Hotel, here tonight.

Johari said the participants had engaged in meaningful discussions and would continue sessions with ASEAN partners to address various environmental issues.

“I trust that these conversations will be valuable and will help guide us toward a stronger regional cooperation. What brings us together is the recognition that environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss know no borders, so our solutions must also be unified and collaborative,” he said.

He noted that Malaysia is proud of the milestones achieved during this meeting, especially the official endorsement of three new ASEAN Heritage Parks namely Tengku Hassanal Wildlife Reserve in Pahang as well as Bako National Park and Lambir Hills National Park, both in Sarawak.

According to a statement from the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES), Malaysia celebrated a proud moment as Kota Tinggi received the ESC Award, while Johor Bahru, Bandaraya Diraja Klang, Petaling Jaya, Hang Tuah Jaya, Banting and Melaka received the COR across multiple categories, reaffirming the nation's commitment to advancing sustainability at the local level.

The awards recognised achievements in Clean Air, Clean Land, Clean Water, Urban Biodiversity and Green Spaces, and Circular Economy, underscoring ASEAN’s collective resolve to share best practices and strengthen collaboration towards a greener and more sustainable future.

At the ceremony, 10 ASEAN cities were conferred the 6th ESC Award, while 19 cities received the 5th COR in recognition of achievements across those five categories - Clean Air, Clean Land, Clean Water, Urban Biodiversity and Green Spaces and Circular Economy.

-- BERNAMA