Returning for its 16th edition, IGEM 2025 aims to generate RM5.5 billion in business leads, consolidating its status as Southeast Asia’ s largest greentechnology marketplace. Themed“ Race Towards Net Zero: Inclusivity and Sustainability”, the event seeks to galvanise public – private partnerships and accelerate Malaysia’ s trajectory toward a low-carbon economy.

COLLECTIVE ACTION

The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry, announcing the event’ s targets at its soft launch, reaffirmed IGEM’ s strategic role as a convening force for the region’ s energy and climate ambitions.

“ IGEM has become more than an exhibition— it is a catalyst for policy, innovation, and collaboration,” it said.“ With this shared vision, let us continue to push boundaries, forge new partnerships, and advance bold solutions for a sustainable and prosperous future.”

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability( NRES) and the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation( MGTC), this year’ s edition is expected to attract 250 exhibitors across 500 booths and participants from 50 countries.

Beyond the numbers, its real value lies in uniting decisionmakers, investors, and innovators who are translating climate pledges into measurable impact.

DECADE OF GROWTH IGEM 2024 set a formidable benchmark: RM10.18 billion in

business leads, 500 exhibitors, and visitors from 68 countries. From renewable-energy developers to AI-driven carbon-management start-ups, the exhibition reflected Malaysia’ s emergence as a hub for clean-tech investment.

MIDA CEO Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid noted that the upward trend underscores investor confidence.

“ The steady rise in IGEM’ s investment leads— from RM3.08 billion in 2020 to RM 6.3 billion in 2024— demonstrates growing faith in Malaysia’ s green economy,” he said.“ MIDA, in close partnership with MGTC, remains committed to attracting high-value green investments and positioning Malaysia as a leading sustainability hub.”

Over the past 15 years, IGEM has welcomed more than 670,000 visitors from 126 countries, generating over RM 58 billion in business leads. Yet its greatest success lies in catalysing dialogue between policy and practice— turning commitments under the National Energy Transition Roadmap( NETR) and the New Industrial Master Plan 2030( NIMP 2030) into real-world projects that blend environmental integrity with economic resilience.

BROADER STAGE Coinciding with IGEM 2025

will be the first Kuala Lumpur Sustainability Summit( KLSS)— a high-level forum convening global thought leaders to debate climate adaptation, sustainable finance, and ESG transformation. With Malaysia now at the helm of ASEAN, KLSS aims to strengthen the region’ s collective voice on sustainability and chart a coherent roadmap toward shared decarbonisation targets.

The summit’ s outcomes are expected to complement Malaysia’ s domestic frameworks by integrating regional cooperation into green-technology advancement, carbon markets, and capacity-building.

REGIONAL CARBON ACTION

Also taking place alongside IGEM 2025 is the third Malaysia Carbon Market Forum, organised by Bursa Malaysia. Under the theme“ Empowering Regional Climate Actions through the ASEAN Common Carbon Framework,” the forum will explore how nations can harmonise carbon-market mechanisms to stimulate crossborder trade in verified emission reductions.

Malaysia’ s Voluntary Carbon Market( VCM) platform, launched in 2022, has already positioned the country as a regional trailblazer in carbon trading. The 2025 forum

is expected to expand dialogue on financing instruments, regulatory alignment, and corporate decarbonisation strategies that could link ASEAN’ s markets into a unified ecosystem.

COLLABORATION AT THE CORE

NRES stressed that collaboration— between government, business, and civil society— remains the cornerstone of progress.

“ Industry partnerships are the lifeblood of IGEM,” it said.“ Each edition brings us closer to a future where sustainability and economic prosperity reinforce one another.”

Indeed, as Malaysia deepens its engagement in renewable energy, green mobility, and climate-resilient urban planning, platforms like IGEM provide the connective tissue that ties innovation to implementation. From hydrogen initiatives in Sarawak to bio-CNG projects on the East Coast, the nation’ s green-growth story is being written not in policy documents, but in the tangible collaborations sparked at events like IGEM.

SUSTAINABLE ASEAN FUTURE

IGEM 2025 will unfold at a pivotal moment: global attention is shifting toward COP30 in Belém, Brazil, where countries are expected to present stronger national commitments. Malaysia’ s leadership in hosting a resultsoriented, investment-driven green-tech showcase thus carries wider significance.

As NRES put it:“ Our race toward net zero is not a sprint but a shared journey. Inclusivity and sustainability must go hand in hand if we are to build a resilient, equitable, and prosperous ASEAN.”

In that spirit, IGEM 2025 is poised not just as an exhibition, but as a declaration— that Malaysia, and indeed the region, is ready to lead the next chapter of the global green transition.- @ green