Malaysia’s carbon emission reduction rate on point, says expert

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's effort to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emission by 40% by the year 2020 is seeing results with reduction of 33% seen between 2005 and last year.
Seeing the reduction, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning (FDTCP) director-general Datuk Dr. Dolbani Mijan said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has re-pledged to achieve 45% CO2 reduction by 2030.
The government had, during the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) in the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change in 2009, declared voluntary reduction of CO2 emission up to 40% by 2020 compared to the 2005 level.
"If you look at the chart, by 2015, we have achieved 33% CO2 reduction. There are five years left and we will reach our target of 40%. Even the Prime Minister is now confident and that is why he pledged to achieve 45% by 2030," he said after attending the International Symposium on Low Carbon Development in Asia 2016, here, today.
Dr Dolbani said achieving the target was of extreme importance due to the country's high carbon emission as compared to most other countries in the region.
He pointed that the country, in 2011, emitted 10.8 tonnes per capita of CO2, only rivalled by neighbouring Singapore and Brunei.
"In terms of Asean countries, we are quite high, that is why we are going for a very high reduction target.
We are one of the highest because we are a very rapidly growing nation, so we consume a lot of energy. And we take a very responsible approach to reduce this (carbon emission)," he said.
Dr Dolbani added that he was pleased that most of the local governments are taking initiatives to help the country achieve its target, claiming them to be the front liners in making the 45% CO2 emission reduction a reality.