Forest City aerial view - more than 60% of the master plan is dedicated to non-built green space (Source: Forest City SFZ).
JOHOR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 June 2026 - As the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) prepares to unveil its strategic master plan this year, Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ), a growing residential and commercial hub designated as a Special Financial Zone in Johor, has released an updated summary of its ESG credentials.
Forest City aerial view - more than 60% of the master plan is dedicated to non-built green space (Source: Forest City SFZ).
While international headlines previously called Forest City a ghost city , its buildings earned LEED Gold Pre-Certification, and its development programme supported the restoration of 9 km of mangroves along the Johor coastline. Forest City SFZ's updated summary presents a clear, verifiable record of its environmental performance, including 2.86 million m² of green space, LEED - Core and Shell (CS) Gold Pre-Certification, 400+ documented species, 40+ international awards, and a live coastal restoration programme.
Natazha Harris, CEO of the Johor Investment Promotion Agency (IMFC-J), noted: "In the first four months of this year, we recorded 48 investment enquiries related to the Forest City SFZ . The potential investment value under discussion is estimated to reach several billion ringgit, with the annual target of RM2 billion expected to be surpassed. Several companies have progressed to advanced negotiations and feasibility studies, with key sectors including financial services, the digital economy, green technology, and high-value-added services. At the same time, areas such as renewable energy, carbon management, and sustainable urban development continue to attract strong interest."
ESG Performance in Context: The JS-SEZ Investment Corridor
With the JS-SEZ master plan nearing completion - targeting accelerated growth across 11 key sectors and aiming to contribute RM 260 billion to Johor's GDP by 2030 - Forest City SFZ is positioned to improve cross-border connectivity and attract investors seeking bilaterally supported investment opportunities .
As ESG criteria increasingly shape institutional real estate and infrastructure investment decisions globally, Forest City SFZ offers corporates and investors a verifiable record to evaluate across four key pillars: green space, LEED-CS Gold Pre-Certified buildings, biodiversity, and ongoing restoration efforts. Each pillar provides measurable environmental data points, while the 2024 Special Financial Zone designation added a governance dimension: a government-backed framework now bilaterally endorsed through the Malaysia-Singapore JS-SEZ agreement signed in January 2025 .
In 2024, Malaysia officially launched the National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF) , requiring listed companies and large enterprises to adopt IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. The Singapore Exchange has also implemented comparable requirements for its listed entities, reflecting a growing regional emphasis on transparency and accountability in sustainability practices. Forest City continues to advance the adoption of robust sustainability standards and performance indicators. It serves as a strategic platform that encourages businesses and investors to prioritise environmental stewardship while promoting balance between economic development and natural ecosystem protection. Through a range of structured and recurring environmental initiatives within the Forest City SFZ, companies are provided with meaningful opportunities to implement and demonstrate ESG practices, building tangible track records in environmental responsibility.
For enterprises operating within the SFZ, this integrated environment-where land and marine ecosystems are carefully preserved-enhances their environmental performance and strengthens their sustainability credentials.
Foundation for ESG Performance: 2.86 Million m² of Total Green Space
Green space serves as a foundational layer of Forest City SFZ's ESG framework, supporting quantifiable outcomes across building certification, biodiversity preservation, and coastal restoration progress.
The master plan dedicates over 60% of the total land area to non-built space, translating to 2.86 million m² of green infrastructure. This includes two golf courses, public parks, landscaped residential zones, and mangrove corridors that extend along the Johor coastline.
As of 2026, this green space supports more than 400 officially documented species on site. Beyond enhancing its appeal as a destination, this rich biodiversity serves as tangible evidence of sustained environmental stewardship. The island's mangroves are critical contributors to biodiversity, as they support fish nurseries and bird populations while protecting the coast against erosion.
Land allocation at this scale, defined at the master plan stage, establishes a more stable foundation for fut…
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