INTRODUCTION

GAIA is a certification scheme that rewards organisations, companies, institutions and businesses that have gone beyond regulatory requirements of operations to contribute towards improving sustainability of the built environment.

The GAIA aims to promote greater awareness and encourage organisations and companies operating in Iskandar Malaysia to be green in their operations and bring positive impact to their surrounding environment.

The GAIA programme is open to any building that has been occupied for at least 6 months from date of CCC/CFO issuance and located in Iskandar Malaysia. Projects that are eligible for nomination include those that have been assessed by one of the green building assessment standards available worldwide such as the Green Building Index (GBI), Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE), Green Mark, Green Star or an equivalent certificate. Nevertheless, projects without the certification can also submit for consideration.

GAIA is not a rating tool but makes use of existing tools in its assessment to select worthy recipients of the Green Accord Initiative Award. Sustainable environmental features and enhanced liveability and community resilience will be considered as additional bonus point.

In line with Low Carbon Society (LCS) actions listed in the Low Carbon Society Blueprint for Iskandar Malaysia 2025 (LCSBPIM), the goal of GAIA is to promote green building design and construction in Iskandar Malaysia (IM). Our focus is to create a more sustainable built environment and to establish a strong, sustainable metropolis of international standing. In this context, “Strong” is defined as a “prosperous, resilient, robust and globally competitive economy, as well as a healthy and globally competitive knowledgeable society”; whereas “Sustainable” means “a low carbon built environment and society”. We will be guided by the following measures: