Making its mark on World Habitat Day on 3 October 2022, the EU Delegation to Malaysia (EUD) released Habitat for the Future: The Malaysian Story, the fourth video of its ‘Learn to Live Again: Steps Towards Sustainability’ campaign.

The latest feature looks at ongoing actions against problems of growing inequality and other challenges in cities and human settlements. It shows how exchanges through EU-Malaysian city-to-city partnerships under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme are enabling local governments such as Portugal’s Famalicão and Penang’s Seberang Perai to share best practice in sustainable development on an interregional scale.

Also in the spotlight is the innovative work of Malaysian organisations and entities that have played a key role in sustainable development at the local level, including the Environment Resource Centre, Community Retort Centre, ESH Resource Management Sdn Bhd and Kairos Agriculture.

Stressing the need for urban strategies and action plans that focus on sustainability, Dato’ Seri Paduka Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN HABITAT), makes an appearance to caution that ‘there will not be enough resources for our children and great grandchildren if we continue the way we consume today.’

In 2008, the world’s urban population for the first time outnumbered its rural population. By 2050, it is expected that two-thirds of the world population will be living in urban areas. With more than half already living in cities, these urban areas account for an estimated 70% of the world's gross domestic product and have improved the well-being for billions of people.

Cities and local communities play a key role in advancing green growth as one of the focus areas of the Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025 — an aim that further aligns with the European Green Deal and the SDGs. The EU’s cooperation through policy dialogue with Malaysia for its transition to a green economy spans a range of areas, from green technology to renewable energy and sustainable forest management.

The complete series from the ‘Learn to Live Again: Steps Towards Sustainability’ campaign can be watched on the EUD’s YouTube page.