LETTERS: THE 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP26) is taking place in Glasgow, the United Kingdom, attended by world leaders from nearly 200 United Nations member countries to discuss and formulate climate change impact management strategies, especially in reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally.
Recently, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the government's intention to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent and reach zero emissions as early as 2050.
Malaysia is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the climate crisis where effective action is needed to ensure the country's readiness to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
It is also important for all parties to understand that if swift action is not taken, we will experience far worse impacts, such as extreme global warming and rising water levels that could even drown parts of the world by 2050, as reported by the Center for Governance and Political Studies in 2019.
Other issues that are increasingly being fought not only by young people in Malaysia but also globally is the involvement of youth in environmental issues, especially in terms of support in the form of capacity building, funding and participation in the decision-making process.
In September, I represented Malaysia at the Youth4Climate Programme in Milan, Italy, participated by nearly 400 youths from at least 200 countries.
The summit provided space for young people to discuss actions at the regional level in addressing climate change and formulate a document containing global youth demands urging world leaders to take action, which was then submitted to world representatives attending COP26.
Our demands were based on four themes: driving ambition, sustainable recovery, non-state actors engagement and environment-conscious society.
In addition to being an excellent platform to expand the network of activists from around the world, which allowed us to exchange views from various perspectives, the programme is a testament to the strength of the global youth climate movements and that young people are willing to step forward and help world leaders to face this climate change crisis.
However, are they willing to listen to the voices of young people? I think that we have had way too many conversations and I am sure that we have also got the solutions in hand.
Not to forget scientific evidence that shows how serious and how desperately an aggressive action is needed to prevent the effects of climate change from getting worse, as we do not have much time left.
For example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report released in August showed that the global climate crisis was getting worse. The report stressed that global temperatures could rise by 1.5ºC in the next few decades.
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, in a statement, says the report is a "red code for humanity", which means the facts gathered in the report that is published every six to seven years show human survival is in a very critical state.
We must understand that what we are facing now is the result of our negligence and mistakes not since a year or two, but over the past few decades. It is also a clear warning of what could happen if we allow this climate crisis to continue.
My call to the government is to create a mechanism that enables the involvement of the Malaysian community more inclusively, especially in terms of providing a platform to voice out opinions, access to climate education, and recognise the position of young people to contribute to climate governance. The future of the world is in our hands!
MOGESH SABABATHY
Malaysian representative to
Youth4Climate, Milan; co-founder,
Ocean Hope Project
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times