In 2008, KLCC Convention Centre (the Centre) led the region as one of the first venues worldwide to attain Green Globe Bronze status. CEI Asia talks to general manager Peter Brokenshire about its recent sustainability moves:

How is the Centre’s green journey progressing?
We’ve reinforced our green programme to the extent that it is second nature to our team. To engage our staff we adopted a ‘bottom-up’ approach from the beginning, establishing internal committees to brief colleagues on the project. This has meant there is a higher level of ownership and commitment among the team.

Recently we’ve started using more environmentally friendly guest supplies, such as recycled paper, pens instead of pencils, and we’re making flowerpots and flowers from recycled newspapers, instead of ordering fresh flowers every day. In addition, unused water left in water bottles is now collected and used on the Centre’s gardens and surrounding parkland.

What new initiatives has the Centre undertaken?
We are working with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia on a tree-planting project at Kepong Botanical Gardens, about an hour from KL. For example, instead of giving gifts at our fifth anniversary client appreciation cocktail party, we donated the money instead.

We are extending this to include guest speakers and talking to event organisers about voluntary delegate donations – most of whom are happy to contribute RM10 (US$3) towards such a project. For conferences and conventions in particular, this is a good initiative because it can offset carbon emissions produced by the event.

How have attitudes and practices changed since you began?
Chemical supplies have improved and all our chemicals are now environmentally friendly. It would be terrific to see the development of biodegradable disposable containers to replace the popular Styrofoam containers. We currently use recycled paper plates and cups but would like to see greater development in this area.

What’s next?
In October the Centre will host the International Greentech & Eco-products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2010). As part of this we are working with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers who introduced us to Wongpanit, a Thai initiative aimed at developing significant cross-cultural and community projects within the Centre. We expect this to have an important flow-on effect.