KUALA LUMPUR: The world is on the right track en route to limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as agreed under the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said in just about eight years, the world managed to achieve about 1 degree reduction over a short span of time.
"There was a study a few years back that said without what we agreed in the Paris Agreement in 2015, we would be heading to an increase of about four degrees celsius by 2050.
"Today, we are looking at about three, nearly four degrees Celsius. So it depends on whether you look at the glass as half full or half empty.
"We have still a long way to go to within 1.5 degrees Celcius, but it means that we managed to achieve about one degree reduction over a short span of time. So I think that's where we're working at and that's where we want to put our efforts," he said when soft launching Malaysia's Pavilion for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP 28), here, today.
The launch was part of the International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM) organised by NRECC and co-organised by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation (MGTC), which opened its doors to businesses today.
Nik Nazmi said apart from the various initiatives and policies that would be implemented, the Advisory Panel of Climate Change, which consists of key ministries, government-linked investment companies (GLICs), government-linked companies (GLCs), the private sector, finance institutions and academics, was also set up.
A consultation panel on Climate Change has also been established to obtain views and input from non-governmental organisations and civil society organisaions, vulnerable communities and youth.
Nik Nazmi said the challenge for the ministry was to get people to care about climate change.
"But the fact is, we need to involve the children with us (on efforts to mitigate climate change), not so much to educate them but also perhaps to educate other members of society.
"We have to remember that Greta Thunberg's parents were inspired by her. They were not that conscious of climate change until they saw their daughter being conscious about it.
"That's the target that we want to achieve," he said.
Under the Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations in December 2015, participants agreed to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
As a party to the Paris Agreement, Malaysia has committed to reduce its economy-wide carbon intensity (against GDP) of 45 per cent in 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
Malaysia also aspires to achieve nett-zero in green house gas emissions earliest by 2050.
NRECC has undertaken a number of initiatives to help the country meet these goals including the drafting of the Climate Change Act, which is expected to be completed in 2025; the developing of the National Carbon Policy, to offer direction on carbon market mechanisms; the preparation of the Nationally Determined Contribution Roadmap (NDC Roadmap) and the Long Term-Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS).
This also includes steering the energy transition towards a low-carbon energy system through electrification, energy efficiency and accelerated renewable energy deployment, including via the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) and maintaining no less than 50 per cent of the nation's land under forest cover.