Last Monday, in a decisive move towards a more sustainable and resilient future, the Ministry of National Resources and Environmental Sustainability of Malaysia unveiled its National Climate Change Policy 2.0 (“Policy 2.0”). While the first National Climate Change Policy was introduced in 2009 to mainstream climate action into the national development agenda, Policy 2.0 aims to reaffirm the country’s response to climate change by introducing a new framework for Malaysia’s transition towards a low-carbon economy. It will also serve as the backbone for drafting the Climate Change Act, slated for early 2025.

“… [A] living document that is subject to periodic reviews and updates to ensure that it remains relevant, effective, and responsive to the evolving climate change landscape. ”

Policy 2.0 is an umbrella policy that ties together all climate initiatives and provides guidelines for governance, low-carbon development, adaptation, climate financing, and cross-border partnerships. It aligns with recent strategic initiatives, such as the National Energy Transition Roadmap and the New Industrial Master Plan 2019-2030. Policy 2.0 is timely not only to fulfil Malaysia’s commitment and pledges to the Paris Agreement and various multilateral environmental agreements but also to address the steady increase in greenhouse gas emissions (“GHG”) and climate change impacts to Malaysia.

Structure

Building upon the first policy, the objectives of Policy 2.0 include:

• Meeting climate targets, including achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, as well as fulfilling other international obligations. 
• Mainstreaming climate action in decision-making processes to improve socio-economic well-being and increase stakeholder accountability. 
• Catalysing the ways of implementation of climate action by integrating responses into national policies, plans, and programmes. 
• Undertaking risk-based planning in developing climate resilience to reduce the negative impacts of climate change.