SYNOPSIS

Eco-Shift: Holistic Transformation towards Environmental Sustainability, was recently published by ITBM (Kuala Lumpur, 2018). Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini has a lot to share based on his 30 years journey on his experience and understanding on environmental science, technology, policy and financing.

In this lecture, Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini would summarise the book on Eco-Shift. In short ECOSHIFT is about drastic change that encompasses the attitudes, habits, behaviours and cultural transformation towards an environmentally-friendly and sustainable development. Change is about taking action by proper implementation, not about merely abstract ideals or philosophical theories.

Change happens easily if we can understand its reasons, rationales, driving forces, methodologies and pathways and if we were steadfast to be committed to it. Change happens naturally if we can correlate its aims with our values, thinking process and philosophies of life. Change happens inevitably if it were part of our values and religion. And change is the only constant for survival, and staying relevant.

Eco-Shift is about blending the approaches and methodologies of change from the top-down to the bottom-up. Eco-Shift is not a rigid programme of transformation where specific steps are to be followed religiously. Eco-Shift provides insights, aspirations and understandings on various issues related to transformative change from individuals, family, organisational, national and global perspectives.

From the global perspective, Eco-Shift provides ideas and guidelines for everyone to act upon, according to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Eco-Shift promotes and motivates change at various levels and in various situations; and defines the priorities and systemic approaches towards sustainable development and implementation.

We have exhaustively deliberated a lot about environmentalism, facts and data on environmental degradation, climate change and its impacts. We have spent too many resources on arguing and blaming each other, but very little progress had taken place on significant actions. Why?

This is partly because no transformative changes had taken place in most parts of the world. Change in policies and regulatory frameworks is easily implemented, but has yet able to be translated into behavioural and cultural change. In addition, like other global issues, the environment, climate change and the SDGs have been extensively used and often merely as a political cliché, and hijacked for their economic opportunities.

Therefore, in this lecture Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini would share his ideas mainly from his personal journey, experiences, observations, reflections, exposures and field work, not solely extractions from literature reviews or conference proceedings, to embark on a journey of environmental stewardship and sustainability.


SPEAKER’S BIODATA

Y.Bhg. Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini bin Ujang has been an icon and very instrumental in environmental management and education in Malaysia since the late 1980s. After his doctoral studies at Newcastle University in 1996, and serving at UTM as an academic staff and later became the Vice-Chancellor (2008-2013), he has been synonymous with water and environmental sustainability. Then he served more than five years as secretary general of three ministries.

He was the first recipient of Merdeka Award on scholarship achievement in 2009, and became the youngest Vice-Chancellor of a public university at 43. He also chaired the Environmental Quality Council (2009-2015) and the founding member of the National Commission of Water Services (SPAN) in 2007. He also was instrumental in developing the national blueprints for higher education (2016-2025) and green technology (2017-2030).

For his significant service to the country and academic community, he was awarded Doctor of Science on 28 October 2018 by his alma mater Newcastle University. The Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Day praised Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini for his tireless effort and initiative on environmental sustainability, notably green technology.

Dato’ Seri Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini, a professional engineer and a fellow to more than 10 learned institutions, regards himself as an eco-shifter!