Royal Address of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for the Opening Ceremony of Malaysia Pavilion at COP28

I would like to convey our highest appreciation to the United Arab Emirates and its people for their hospitality and warm welcome. I would like to also commend to HH President on your Highness steadfast commitment and as host to our delegates throughout this conference in Dubai.

Excellencies; ladies and gentlemen.

Climate change indeed threatens the safety of our environment; our health and well-being; and impairs our economic resilience and stability. We realize how fragile we are to the impact of climate change and are persistent in preparing for any potential hazards and adverse impacts brought about by climate change.

Without exception; every country must contribute to combating climate change. Thus, Malaysia has pledged its efforts to address global warming by submitting the updated Nationally Determined Contribution in 2021 based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

We recognize that energy and industrial sectors account for the majority of Malaysia’s total carbon emissions. Thus; addressing emissions from these sectors is the focus of our climate actions. Under the National Energy Transition Roadmap; we envisage increasing the share of green and sustainable energy in our total primary energy mix. Thus; this transitional aspiration is projected to significantly increase; not only the average national GDP from energy transition activities but also generate more green jobs for Malaysians.

Such commitment involves meticulous policy implementation in which finance and technology accessibility stand out as the additional hurdles for developing and emerging economies. Therefore; bridging the gap in technology and financing between developed and developing nations is crucial to providing equal access to clean energy solutions at a reasonable cost. This includes recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities each country holds.

It is crucial to also recognize the significant role of nature-based solutions in combating climate change. Malaysia has consistently upheld our commitment made during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro; Brazil in 1992; to maintain at least 50 percent of the country’s land area under forests and tree cover. Nevertheless; there is still much more we can do especially around our region. Collaboration among peers is the key effort in addressing climate change. In this spirit; I encourage all delegates to visit and promote our pavilion and use this platform to discuss and pursue collaboration beyond our regions while leaving no one behind.

In conclusion, I hope COP28 will be successful on and help accelerate the global effort to address climate change. I also hope that we could leverage the Malaysia Pavilion for potential investment opportunities and collaboration, for the benefit of Malaysia as well as the global community. With the gracious Kalimah Bismillah Hirrahman Nirrahim; I hereby declare the Malaysia Pavilion at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; officially open.