Malaysia

Executive Summary

Malaysia's role in addressing climate change encompasses both mitigation and adaptation efforts. The country experiences an equatorial climate characterized by rising temperature trends ranging from 0.13 to 0.24 degrees Celsius per decade. Its rainfall patterns are influenced by topography and monsoon winds, resulting in substantial annual precipitation ranging from approximately 2,000 mm to 4,000 mm. These changes in climate have contributed to the emergence of extreme weather events, including heat waves and floods.

Notably, Malaysia has consistently upheld its commitment to preserving its forests. This commitment was originally made at the Earth Summit in 1992, and as of 2019, Malaysia maintained forest cover over 54.9% of its total land area, which translates to approximately 18.14 million hectares. Malaysia's status as one of the world's mega-diverse countries is underscored by its rich terrestrial biodiversity, which is concentrated within its tropical rainforests. These rainforests span from coastal plains to mountainous regions and also encompass wetlands such as lakes and rivers. Furthermore, Malaysia boasts abundant marine biodiversity, primarily found in its islands and coastal ecosystems.

 In the realm of international climate agreements, Malaysia has played an active role by ratifying the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. At the national level, Malaysia has established comprehensive climate policies, including the enactment of a National Policy on Climate Change in 2009, complemented by a National Renewable Energy Policy. As part of its commitment to combat climate change, Malaysia has pledged to reduce carbon intensity relative to its GDP by 45% by the year 2030, compared to the levels observed in 2005. This multifaceted approach underscores Malaysia's dedication to addressing climate change through a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures.

NDC Highlights

In 2021, Malaysia updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), signaling its commitment to unconditionally reduce economy-wide carbon intensity (measured against gross domestic product [GDP]) by 45% by 2030, in comparison to 2005 levels. This represents the first modification to its NDC, initially submitted in 2015, and demonstrates a 10% being conditional upon the receipt of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support from developed countries. Moreover, the revised NDC covers seven greenhouse gasses, compared to the first NDC which only covered three.

NDC Lowlights

One significant oversight in the NDC is the limited attention given to the vulnerability of youth within both mitigation and adaptation strategies. It is essential to recognize that young individuals represent the voices of the future. Therefore, acknowledging the significance of integrating youth perspectives into decision-making processes is crucial.

This equally applies to the recognition of women and vulnerable groups as key stakeholders climate action.

Key ecommendations on intergenerational justice

• Implement training and capacity-building initiatives aimed at equipping young individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge for effective engagement in climate action. This encompasses training in climate science, policy advocacy, and sustainable practices. Achieving this can be realized through active engagement with local networks and platforms that support Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) activities at both the national and sub-national levels, facilitating the participation of children and young adults.

• Foster inclusive platforms that enable the active participation of young people in national climate decision-making processes. These platforms may encompass youth forums, public consultations, and dialogues involving government officials and various stakeholders.

•  Extend financial and organizational backing to organizations with a youth-centric focus on climate issues. These organizations play a pivotal role in mobilizing young individuals and implementing climate-related projects.

• Ensure the inclusion of youth representatives within Malaysia's delegations to global climate conferences, such as the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This inclusion serves as a platform for amplifying the voices of young individuals on a global scale.

• Demonstrate a steadfast commitment to the sustained inclusion of youth in climate action. Recognize that youth engagement should not be a one-off endeavor but rather a continuous and integral component of Malaysia's climate policy.

Key Recommendations on Gender Equality

• To ensure that gender considerations are integrated across all sectors and initiatives mentioned in its NDC, not just limited to the Disaster Risk Reduction section. This should involve a holistic assessment of the differential impacts of climate change on gender and the inclusion of specific strategies to address gender inequalities in each sector.

• The NDC should explicitly identify the factors contributing to gender inequality within the context of climate change and propose targeted actions to address these factors. This might include addressing unequal access to resources, decision-making processes, and economic opportunities.

• To incorporate a holistic approach of addressing gender equality such as investing in capacity-building programs that empower vulnerable groups to meaningfully engage in mitigation and adaptation efforts. In addition, to include an allocation of resources specifically for gender-responsive climate action. This will ensure that budgets for climate projects include provisions for gender mainstreaming.

• As reflected in the poor gender-mainstreaming across the national policies and mechanisms, gender-disaggregated data have proven to be crucial in designing evidence-based policies and interventions that address the unique vulnerabilities and needs of women and vulnerable groups.

Key Recommendations on Emissions Reduction

• Invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro power. Malaysia will need to double its investments in renewable energy transition to at least $375 billion to achieve its ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Under the Malaysia Renewable Energy Roadmap (MyRER), the government has set an ambitious target of renewable energy providing 31 percent of the nation’s energy needs by 2025 and 40 percent by 2035.

• Implementing a mandatory carbon pricing mechanism, specifically a carbon tax, serves to establish economic incentives within sectors that are substantial contributors to emissions, encouraging them to decrease their carbon footprint. The underlying concept of carbon pricing rests on the idea that entities emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere should bear the financial responsibility for the environmental and societal consequences linked to climate change. It is essential to emphasize that carbon pricing should be seamlessly integrated into a broader spectrum of national climate policies and initiatives. This integration is crucial to ensure a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to reducing emissions.

• Implement a well-structured and just transition plan to phase out fossil fuel reliance and significantly decrease dependence on oil and gas as a key country revenue source. Acknowledging that Petronas, Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company, has begun to transition towards cleaner and renewable energy sources, it is imperative to address the pace of this transition. Given the significant contribution of the oil and gas sector to the country’s revenue, the transition should be expedited in a manner that aligns with Malaysia’s emissions reduction goals. A comprehensive and well-defined just transition plan is needed to ensure a smoother shift away from fossil fuels. This plan should not only prioritize environmental sustainability but also consider the socio-economic impact on communities and industries that heavily rely on the oil and gas sector.