KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs a clear and action-oriented climate policy to deliver on its pledges made at the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) summit in Glasgow recently.
Besides raising its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), Malaysia announced plans to retain 50 per cent of its natural forest cover, launch a domestic emissions trading scheme (DETS) and develop a National Adaptation Plan.
Environmental groups, however, argued that the country lacks clear strategies, financing instruments and institutional mechanisms to realise these ambitions.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia president Meenakshi Raman said the group had proposed to the government to retain a conditional target in its latest NDC submission.
NDC refers to the intended reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity of a country against its gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
"When the NDC was first submitted in 2015, Malaysia committed to reduce its GHG emissions intensity (against GDP) by 35 per cent unconditionally and 10 per cent conditionally upon receiving climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building from developed countries.
"However, this year, the government removed the 10 per cent conditional target and announced a completely unconditional target of 45 per cent.
"This may lead to developed countries questioning us if we will reintroduce a conditional target in our next NDC in 2025.
"The government should have instead set a 55 per cent target — 45 per cent unconditionally and 10 per cent conditionally," she told the New Straits Times.
She said the government should also conduct a feasibility study to determine if carbon tax was a better instrument to reduce GHG emissions than DETS.
Meanwhile, Global Environment Centre director Faizal Parish said Malaysia must state its NDC in terms of an absolute reduction in GHG emissions, instead of reduction in intensity of emissions against GDP.
"Setting a target against intensity means that if our GDP increases, our emissions also increase and yet, we will still achieve the target.
"So, by stating our NDC in terms of absolute emissions, we are transparent about our emission trajectory and our progress towards becoming a carbon neutral nation by 2050."
Faizal also urged the government to revise the National Policy on Climate Change that was adopted in 2009 since it lacked the financing and institutional mechanisms required to meet Malaysia's current climate targets.
He added the largest GHG emission sources in Malaysia were energy generation, transportation, and land use.
"Peatland drainage and degradation are very important emission sources, but this is not reflected in the current policies and plans."
The federal government, Faizal said, should distribute funds to state and local governments to implement preventive and protective measures, including better protection and rehabilitation of forests and peatlands to reduce fires, enhancing water catchment and flood control functions, ensuring better management of water resources, reducing per capita water use, increasing recycling of water and introducing effective pollution control measures to safeguard water supply.