Malaysia cuts carbon emission by 33%

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak (pix) today said that fast-developing nations, including Malaysia, have an important role to play in driving climate change.
He said Malaysia can show other developing countries that economic growth and carbon emissions need not be correlated and that "we can help bridge the trust gap between 'developed' and 'developing' countries at the UN climate change negotiations".
"Countries like ours - fast-developing nations in favour of ambitious action on climate change - are living proof that economy and environment can prosper together," he said in his speech at the International New York Times 'Energy For Tomorrow' Conference in Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur today.
Najib said Malaysia is promoting climate transparency with a new corporate emissions reporting policy such as encouraging more clean vehicles onto our roads and rationalising fuel subsidies and committing to energy efficient construction.
Earlier this year, he said, his own department was recognised as one of the greenest buildings in Malaysia.
He said Malaysia was also investing in the start-ups and entrepreneurs who will make the next generation of energy technology.
"We've launched a venture capital fund to finance clean energy projects across South East Asia. Malaysia already builds much of the new energy infrastructure - from solar panels to energy-efficient lightbulbs," said Najib adding that Malaysia can be more than just the factory that builds the future as the nation can be the design studio too.
"We want our green industries to deliver jobs, and to help us create a deeper knowledge economy. So we've got a range of policies to help our young entrepreneurs get the skills and support they need, and to help our SMEs to do green business," he said.
In observing that 2015 will be a year of global climate action culminating in the Paris talks, Najib said: " But to get a deal, and to make that deal work, we need governments, businesses and people to really get on board with the possibilities of the new energy economy."
He said Malaysia will look to work with other fast-developing nations to show that climate action can be part of national development and that this ambition brings opportunities, not costs.
"As the chair of ASEAN next year, we will advocate for sustainable growth and climate action," said Najib adding that they will enter the negotiations in Paris with the hope of securing cleaner energy for tomorrow.
He also pointed out that although Malaysia didn't get the funds or technology that was promised at Copenhagen, the nation stuck to the pledge it made there.
"We've cut the emissions intensity of our GDP by 33% in the past five years, an averaged 5.7% growth," he added.