Strategies for a sustainable Malaysian future

THOUGH there are various concerns to be addressed in a post-2020 Malaysia, climate change mitigation should be at the top of the list.

This has become one of the most pressing challenges of our generation, and any future national roadmaps should prioritise cleaner, greener policies and practices.

HMD Global, brand licensee of Nokia mobile phones and accessories is heartened that the 12th Malaysia Plan has made environmental sustainability a key pillar of its shared prosperity initiative.

We believe that adopting a holistic approach to sustainability should be a guiding principle for the national agenda. To this end, we endorse several strategies for climate change mitigation moving forward:

Encode sustainability into the DNA of organisations and companies

Organisations must be ready to integrate sustainability into their value systems, and pledge to prioritise environmental preservation, energy efficiency and waste reduction at every juncture.

This means scrutinising existing activities, resources and processes, evaluating their impact and revising them with the environment in mind.

In accordance with this commitment to greater sustainability, HMD Global has incorporated company-wide greener practices that include:

• Implementing programmes that tackle energy usage, water access, waste reduction, reducing the materials per product which in turn reduces the effects on mining and biodiversity, reducing the use of hazardous materials and chemicals
• Aiming to track, monitor and reduce energy consumption and emissions
• Developing products that require less materials, or introduce new materials that can reduce environmental impact
• Ensuring we comply fully with the latest standards in environmental performance

Implementing greener initiatives

As part of our sustainability efforts, HMD Global has extended the warranty of the Nokia X20 to three years.

Additionally, we have also pledged a full three-year support for OS and security updates.

The continued support is our way of ensuring consumers that their devices will not quickly go obsolete or become vulnerable to security threats throughout their lifespan.

This is our way of encouraging them to keep their existing devices instead of throwing them away before their expiration.

Users will also receive a free 100% compostable case, which is much more beneficial to the environment.

What this does is encourage sustainable consumption, extend product life cycle and reduce e-waste. These are initial steps that will be built upon to reduce carbon footprint in the long run.

Develop a clear and systematic environmental management system

Eco-friendly policies will certainly have a positive impact on reducing the national carbon footprint.

These, however, will be most effective when enmeshed in a clear and structured system that can be regularly evaluated and upgraded.

For example, HMD Global has implemented a designated Environmental Management System that encompasses environmental risk audits, improvement targets and programmes, employee training and communication, internal audits and management reviews.

For our work, were awarded a EcoVadis 2021 Gold Rating, which recognises organisations with an advanced, structured and proactive sustainability approach, as well as showing tangible actions on major issues with detailed implementation information.

Certainly, embracing greener policies is a big step towards sustainability, but demonstrating a commitment to constant improvement is just as important.

Collaborate with like-minded stakeholders to maximise impact

The success of these strategies will be amplified by productive partnerships with like-minded stakeholders.

It is vital to harness the power of collaboration and form alliances with vendors, suppliers and service providers who share the same values.

These service providers should be selected based on their established environmental policies and initiatives that align with internationally recognised standards.

HMD Global chooses to work with suppliers who are not only compliant with environmental legislation but can provide evidence of this compliance when requested, and are also constantly striving to further finetune their own sustainability practices across their organisations.

Vision 2020 drew up the blueprint for a prosperous Malaysia, but in the face of looming environmental degradation, our progress is under threat.

Today’s climate concerns necessitate a clear environmental action plan. HMD Global is confident this will be addressed extensively in the 12th Malaysia Plan, with the aim of enriching Malaysian society, economy and industry.

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* Goh Doh Hau is the Country Manager (Malaysia) for HMD Global

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.