VIENNA: Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, serving as UN-Habitat assembly president, has urged innovative strategies for a green economy.
During the World Cities Summit 2025, here, he met with UNIDO Director General Gerd Müller to discuss joint efforts in developing low-carbon industrial parks.
The minister proposed an international framework where UN-Habitat promotes green building standards globally, while UNIDO certifies compliance. This initiative aims to cut industrial carbon emissions and foster sustainable urban growth.
Müller welcomed the proposal, signaling potential collaboration.
Nga emphasised that sustainable development must balance economic growth and job creation. “UNIDO’s expertise in circular economies and green manufacturing is vital for this transformation,“ he said.
Both parties agreed to revive a 2017 MoU to strengthen climate-resilient projects, particularly in rural areas.
In a separate engagement, Nga met Vienna’s Lord Mayor Dr Michael Ludwig, praising the city’s three-time ranking as the world’s most liveable. The Malaysian delegation, including Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, toured Vienna’s smart district, Seestadt Aspern, to study its integration of technology and heritage preservation.
“Vienna’s model shows that innovation and history can coexist,“ Nga noted, pledging to share these insights with UN-Habitat’s 193 member states.
