RCE Iskandar with the support of IGES (Institute of Global Environmental Strategies), Japan, successfully organized the International Conference of Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA) hosted by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and held in conjunction with the 4th Annual Meeting of LoCARNet (Low Carbon Asia Research Network) in Johor Bahru, 11-12 October 2015.

The aim of the event was to catalyze the transformation of low carbon society in Asia. ICLCA serves as a platform to encourage discussion and networking among researchers and stakeholders to champion the progression and governance of low carbon societies in Asia.

60 international experts from various countries, 40 local officials from various ministries, state departments and local authorities, and 50 participants from the academia and industry met on 11-13 October 2015 for the International Conference of Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA) and the 4th Annual Meeting of LoCARNet. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through the UTM-Low Carbon Asia Research Centre (UTM-LCAR), was co-hosting this very important dual event with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan and the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).

The back-to-back ICLCA and the 4th Annual Meeting of LoCARNet are organised as a key event leading up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris this coming December.

A key objective of the ICLCA was to deliberate upon and set Asia's Low Carbon Actions towards meeting global climate change mitigation and adaptation targets up to 2020 and beyond.

A key highlight of the ICLCA and 4th Annual Meeting was the publication of the LoCARNet Iskandar Malaysia Declaration which sets out Asia's position and propositions towards a transition into a global resilient Low Carbon Society (LCS) that is compatible with an increase in average surface temperatures limited to 1.5°-2°C compared to the pre-industrial level.

The event will be officiated by YAB Dato Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Menteri Besar Johor, with an accompanying opening speech to be delivered by Mr. Nobuhiro Kino, Director, International Cooperation Office, Ministry of the Environment Japan (MOEJ) as key sponsor of the event.

HE French Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr. Christophe Penot, representing the French Government which holds the Presidency of COP 21 that is set to convene in Paris in December 2015, will deliver the French Government's expectations for Asia and COP21 and beyond.

The ICLCA featured eight keynote speeches, six breakout sessions with 26 speakers and 80 poster presentations that covered the key topics and issues related to the current state and progress, challenges and future policy directions of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Asia, including Asia's response and propositions to the Lima-Paris Action Agenda.

Being a premier research university in Malaysia and the knowledge hub of the Skudai Innovation Valley that is strategically located in the rapidly growing Iskandar Malaysia region, UTM was proud and honoured to co-host the ICLCA and the 4th Annual Meeting of LoCARNet with IRDA, Malaysia, and IGES and the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan.  This was well in line with UTM's long-term strategic plan to become one of the top 50 World Universities in the field of engineering and technology by 2020.  Guided by the UTM Global Plan 2012-2020, UTM was committed towards more significant roles in contributing to a better world and, certainly, a better, climate resilient Asia.