ICLEI South Asia conducted a training session on the preparation of greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories on May 3, 2017, in Melaka, Malaysia, at the launch event of the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) Sustainable Cities Integrated Approach Pilot in Malaysia, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Melaka Sustainable Cities Conference 2017 on May 3, 2017 was held to launch the Sustainable City Development in Malaysia project (2017-2020) and drew both local and international participants. UNIDO is implementing the project in partnership with the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government (KPKT), the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), and the Melaka State Government. The objective of this project is to encourage and promote an integrated approach for urban planning and management including economic, environmental, social, and city integration aspects.

The three-hour training focused on the need to monitor and reduce GHG emissions in the context of global and local climate change, preparation of a city GHG emission inventory compliant with the Global Protocol for Community-scale GHG Emissions Inventories (GPC), and the utility of different features of ICLEI’s HEAT+ tool for GHG emission management. ICLEI South Asia shared its experiences in assisting the state of Melaka and its 4 urban local authorities in the preparation of their GHG emission inventories as well as similar work done with cities in other regions. The strategic importance of engaging with international reporting platforms and networks such as the carbonn Climate Registry (cCR) and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Energy to drive forward local climate action was also highlighted during the training. More than 50 participants attended the training representing government departments, academic and research institutions, and the private sector.