KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia can become a regional leader in sustainability energy in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
United States ambassador to Malaysia Brian McFeeters said the setting up of the first National Energy Centre at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) would steer the country towards meeting the goals.
"Malaysia would be able to spearhead the energy initiatives for a sustainable future for generations to come through collaborations with various stakeholders," he said at the 'Climate Action Now: Taking Initiatives to Combat the Climate Crisis' engagement event with students at Uniten yesterday.
About 100 stakeholders, environment enthusiasts and others attended the engagement session.
He said states in Malaysia, as stewards of land, played a crucial role in preserving forests, mangroves and peatland, which are critical in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
He said there was an urgent need to quickly evolve into a society that uses cleaner energy.
Uniten Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman said Malaysia hoped to become the energy hub of the region through energy transition initiatives to address the climate crisis.
He said the National Energy Centre would not only serve as a beacon to guide the energy sector towards achieving zero-carbon emission, it would also help educate, produce and develop new talent in industries.
"As one of the most developed nations in Southeast Asia, Malaysia's population is projected to rise to over 40 million people in the next three decades.
"The energy demand in Malaysia is also expected to rise by 60 per cent in the same period.
"As we transition towards net zero emissions by 2040, our country aims to become a low carbon nation, as reflected in the National Energy Policy 2022-2040," Noor Azuan said in a keynote speech at the event.