UNEP-United for Efficiency (U4E) completed an in-person mission to Malaysia from 6 to 10 April 2026, engaging federal and state-level stakeholders on sustainable cooling and sustainable data centre development.
The mission focused on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for room air conditioners and commercial refrigeration, as well as energy efficiency in data centres. U4E said the engagement confirmed momentum for its support and highlighted Malaysia’s ambition to strengthen energy efficiency within Southeast Asia.
On 8 April, U4E met with the Energy Commission of Malaysia in Putrajaya, together with representatives from the Department of Energy and the World Bank. The revised MEPS for room air conditioners is nearing completion and is aligned with the U4E Model Regulation Guidelines, following Malaysia’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, which entered into force on 1 January 2025.
A multi-stakeholder awareness campaign is also underway to promote energy-efficient room air conditioners among youth, first-time home buyers and household decision-makers. For commercial refrigeration equipment, MEPS development is progressing through a regulatory roadmap that includes market assessment, cost–benefit analysis, testing standards and industry engagement sessions. The scope is expected to include refrigerant considerations, including HFC phase-down in line with Malaysia’s ratification of the Kigali Amendment.
The mission also covered Malaysia’s data centre sector, where growth is being driven by digitalisation, AI expansion and regional demand. At federal level, the Ministry of Digital is leading the creation of a National Data Centre Task Force and a National Data Centre Framework. Discussions identified potential technical input from U4E, including through the UNEP-U4E Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for Data Centres and Servers.
At state level, Selangor and Johor expressed interest in working with U4E on sustainable data centre development. Selangor has introduced a policy requiring 30% local content contribution for new data centre projects. Johor is updating its data centre guideline with stronger focus on sustainability metrics such as PUE, WUE and carbon considerations. U4E also visited AirTrunk’s hyperscale facility in Johor, where discussions addressed sustainable data centre development and operational efficiency.