KUALA LUMPUR, 17 September 2012: The Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) is set to bag an acclaimed international certification for sustainable green development.

The TRX master plan underwent a rigorous evaluation by the prestigious US-based Green Building Council on its overall impact beyond individual buildings.

The council examined the location of those buildings, the way they relate to each other and qualities of the public spaces that knit them together.

The council has granted TRX a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ®) for Neighborhood Development Plan Gold Level

Conditional Approval. This puts TRX on to the penultimate stage of being Pre-Certified.

LEED is an internationally recognised green building certification programme with a rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings.

LEED-ND certification evaluates at a whole township or district level not limited to individual buildings.

It is a global benchmark certifying a development as embracing world-class sustainability principles, smart growth and best-practice urban planning.

LEED-ND development emphasizes vibrant, healthy communities in a walkable, mixed-use space. It recognises buildings and infrastructure that reduce energy and water use, while promoting other sustainable best practices.

The certification requires independent, third party verification that a development’s location and design meet high standards of environmentally responsible, sustainable development.

1MDB Real Estate Sdn Bhd CEO Dato’ Azmar Talib said: “Sustainability has been foremost in our plans every step of the way. We want to push the envelope in green development in Malaysia.”

“This world-class recognition reflects our commitment to a green future,” he added.

Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak, when launching TRX, has pledged that TRX will encompass world-leading international design and progressive planning tenets; its buildings and infrastructure will conform to the highest levels of sustainability. Dato’ SriMohd Najib is the Chairman, 1MDB Board of Advisors.

The master plan provides for total of 30% of TRX to be open spaces including a 14-acre signature public park.

TRX will, among others, apply cutting-edge technologies in energy, water and waste management.

Smart systems, well-designed infrastructure and a centralized control and command centre will reduce carbon emissions by 40% and total water demand by 60%, as well as divert 70% of waste from landfill.

1MDB is the Master Developer for the 70-acre international financial district, which was formerly known as KLIFD. The strategic development is a national initiative to spur sustainable growth in new areas and lead the way for the federal capital to be a sustainable, smart and liveable city.