Kuala Lumpur: The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Ministry is urging more large-scale corporate entities, including multinational corporations and government-linked companies (GLCs), to participate in environmental sustainability initiatives by adopting renewable energy sources such as solar power. Its Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad emphasized the crucial role these companies play in advancing the sustainability agenda, alongside individual efforts.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nik Nazmi highlighted IKEA Malaysia as an example, noting the company’s initiative to install solar panels. This move aligns with the government’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), which aims for 70 percent of the country’s electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2050.

The Minister stated, “We want to encourage more corporates – be it multinationals, GLCs, and others – to participate in sustainability efforts like this. These companies have a significant role in promoting the use of solar energy.” He emphasized the importance of both individual actions and the significant impact of large corporations in the sustainability agenda.

Nik Nazmi’s comments came during a briefing after inspecting the installation of 2,668 solar panels at IKEA Damansara. The event was attended by IKEA Malaysia’s National Retail director Malcolm Pruys. The new solar panels, covering nearly 12,000 square meters of rooftop space, are expected to generate two megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually and help reduce carbon emissions by approximately 1,330 tonnes per year.

With this addition, IKEA Malaysia now operates a total of 20,437 solar panels across its stores and distribution centres nationwide, increasing its total renewable energy generation capacity to 6.3 MWh per year.