[COLUMNIST] EXPERT REACTION: COP28 Wins and Losses

THE 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, ended on 13 December 2023. The conference operationalised the Loss and Damage Fund, which was established by COP27 in 2022. It also concluded the first global stocktake of climate action under the Paris Agreement and adopted a decision calling for accelerated short-term action and an orderly transition away from fossil fuels towards climate-neutral energy systems – the first-ever COP decision to address fossil fuels.

While COP28 has sparked global efforts, challenges remain in translating commitments into action on the ground. What strategies can be implemented to keep climate action at the forefront of national discourse, incentivise public participation, and ensure concrete, ambitious actions towards achieving Malaysia's climate goals? We asked a few climate experts for their immediate reaction.

Nithi Nesadurai, President, Environmental Protection Society Malaysia & Director & Regional Coordinator, Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, said:

COP28 had two specific outcomes which Malaysia should address through policies and action. The first is the recognition of “tripling renewable energy (RE) capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency (EE) improvements by 2030”. The government should initiate multi stakeholder engagement to further raise the target for increasing RE in the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). As EE is the fastest pathway to reducing carbon emissions, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act (EECA) 2023 should be used to increase the efficiency of high-emitting appliances through minimum energy performance standards and labeling.

The other outcome of “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems'' has a direct implication for Malaysia as an oil and gas producing nation. While rich fossil fuel producing countries in the Global North should take the first step in their phase out, Malaysia should promptly set up a National Just Transition Consultative Committee with multi stakeholder representation to create the institutional framework for the transition away from dependency on fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner.

Dr Renard Siew, Climate Advisor, CENT-GPS & Adjunct Professor, Taylor’s University & UNITAR, said:

There were hits and misses at COP28. Straight out the gate, The COP presidency started by tackling the elephant in the room - The Loss and Damage Fund. The level of commitment on this fund however is nowhere close to where it needs to be and there are still questions to be answered on the deployment of this fund, how would Malaysia qualify for this, what are the monitoring mechanisms in place?

There were a number of new declarations and roadmaps announced but seriously where are the “roads”? That being said, I was particularly excited about the Climate and Health Declaration as for the very first time it acknowledged the need to bring together two very interconnected disciplines.

We also saw the commitment on the tripling of renewable energy and doubling of energy efficiency targets. Considering the NTER and the EECA bill, Malaysia seems to be well-positioned to achieve this.

Article 6 was a major let down since no consensus was reached. I thought the developments here would have been crucial for Malaysia considering that we also just launched the Bursa Carbon Exchange (BCX) and were hoping to spur the development of carbon credit projects locally.

(Article 6 refers to the Paris Agreement’s rule book governing carbon markets. It covers the mechanisms and processes essentially the “how-to” for countries to transfer carbon credits among each other.)

Dr Helena Varkkey, Associate Professor of Environmental Politics and Governance, Universiti Malaya, said:

Outcomes of COP28

I was pleased to see that there was a lot more awareness and attention on methane emissions during COP28. The oil and gas sector now sees methane as a key sustainability strategy moving forward. At the COP28 Global Methane Pledge ministerial meeting, new grant funding has been announced to support the achievement of the Pledge’s goal to cut methane by at least 30% by 2030.

What does it mean for Malaysia?

Methane is especially important for Malaysia’s global climate commitments because two of our key industrial sectors, oil and gas and palm oil, are also reported as our two highest methane emitting sectors. So methane action is especially important not only for a secure climate future, but also for the sustainable development of our key industries.

What are the strategies moving forward?

It is important for the government of Malaysia to clearly articulate a national direction for methane action. This can possibly be done by streamlining methane governance within the national climate framework. This is an opportune time to do so as the Malaysian National Policy on Climate Change 2009 is currently being reviewed and the Climate Change Act is being developed.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.