No Idling Campaign
Overview
Lead Researcher: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Ahamad, Chief Scientist, SCPH
Partners: Sunway University Facilities Management, Sunway University Branding Team
Campaign Duration: 17 March 2025 to 17 May 2025
Location: Sunway University campus, Subang Jaya
Status: Ongoing (data collection in progress)
Description
At the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, we believe that meaningful change starts close to home. The No Idling Campaign is one of our initiatives that puts this belief into practice, right here on the Sunway University campus.
Led by SCPH's Chief Scientist, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatimah Ahamad, the campaign is part of an ongoing air pollution research study examining whether a social media intervention campaign can significantly reduce traffic-related air pollutants on campus. The campaign targets a surprisingly overlooked source of pollution: vehicle idling. When drivers leave their engines running while parked, harmful pollutants continue to be released into the air, even when the car is not moving.
Through a combination of social media content, physical posters installed in Sunway University's basement car parks, and a campaign video broadcast on Sunway College TV (SCTV), SCPH worked to raise awareness and encourage a simple but powerful behaviour change: turn off your engine after you park.
Small actions, repeated by many, add up to cleaner air for everyone.
Impact
Reaching the Campus Community
Campaign ran across multiple channels simultaneously including social media, physical posters in Sunway University basement car parks, and a video broadcast on Sunway College TV (SCTV)
SCPH collaborated with Sunway University's Branding team to amplify the campaign's message across all university platforms
Why It Matters: The Science Behind the Campaign
In Malaysia, vehicle exhaust accounts for up to 95% of carbon monoxide and 19% of nitrogen dioxide emissions (DOE Malaysia EQR 2023)
An idling engine can emit up to twice as much pollution as a moving vehicle
Just one minute of idling releases more carbon dioxide than a tree can absorb in 10 minutes
If all 856,292 registered cars in Malaysia idled for just one minute a day, approximately 14,557 kg of CO2 would be released, the equivalent of what an Angsana tree would take three hours to absorb
Behaviour Change Through Research
The campaign is part of a research study assessing the measurable impact of a social media intervention in reducing campus air pollution levels
Findings will provide evidence-based recommendations for academic institutions and NGOs
Air pollution data collection is currently in progress
Links: