Don't view lightly climate change, global warming, warns Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today warned that climate change and global warming can no longer be viewed lightly.

He said rainfall patterns in Malaysia had changed and the country now faced prolonged draughts so much so there was water supply crisis in some states in the middle of 2014 and at the end of the year, continuous heavy rain resulted in some of the worst floods in decades with loss of lives and destruction of property.

"As an example, The Kelantan Drainage and Irrigation Department recorded rainfall of 1,295 millimetres from Dec 21 to 23, 2014, which is equivalent to rainfall over 64 days," he said when chairing the Green Technology and Climate Change Council (MTHPI) meeting here today.

Najib also said the National Security Council (MKN) had confirmed the flood disaster at the end of last year and the landlsides occuring now were linked to land clearing for agriculture and development and land encroachment.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published last year by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) had warned that mitigation measures taken were still not enough to limit temperature increase to two degrees Celcius, he said.

"This will cause serious natural disasters in future," he added.

As such, he said, it would be apt that MTHPI, established in 2010 with the role of drawing up the agenda on green technology and addressing climate change, meet at least twice a year.

On green technology, the prime minister said the number for green employment created in Malaysia had increased 38 per cent, from 61,280 in 2013 to 84,565 last year.

He said green technology in Malaysia could be the catalyst for sustainable green technology development, not only in terms of a balanced environment, but also socially.

The study on the green technology master plan, he said, outlined five key economic sectors, namely energy, transport, buildings, waste and water.

Najib said he expected the green business, based on the platform of business as usual for the five key economic sectors, to contribute RM12.7 billion to the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2020 and RM27.9 billion in 2030.

"If strong commitment is given beyond business as usual in increasing green business, it is expected green business will contribute RM22.4 billion to the GDP in 2020 and RM60 billion in 2030," he said.

Green business based on that platform is also expected to increase opportunities in green employment to 144,590 in 2020 and 211,500 in 2030, he added.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili told a media conference after the meeting that five papers were tabled at the meeting.

They included on the National Master Plan For Green Technology from the ministry and A Roadmap of Carbon Intensity Reduction in Malaysia from the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry.

The other three papers were on the National Waste Grid by the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT), proposal on creating Green-Blue Packaging Industry by SIRIM Bhd and the National Electric Mobility Blueprint from Malaysia Green Technology Corporation.