M’sia targets 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide reduction by 2035

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of 15 to 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2035, says the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES).

The ministry said the target under the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) plan comprises an unconditional reduction of up to 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with an additional conditional reduction of 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, subject to the availability of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support from international sources.

“Based on current projections, Malaysia is expected to reach its peak GHG emissions level between the years 2029 and 2034,” it said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 29).

It said the Cabinet meeting on Oct 24 had agreed to Malaysia’s latest GHG emissions reduction target, namely the NDC 3.0 to the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to prepare and submit their NDCs every five years to contribute towards the global goal of limiting global warming caused by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.

It said previously, Malaysia submitted NDC 1.0 on Nov 16, 2016 and NDC 2.0 on July 30, 2021.

“The absolute reduction target under NDC 3.0 represents a more ambitious commitment compared to the carbon intensity target in Malaysia’s NDC 1.0 and NDC 2.0,” it said.

The establishment of the NDC 3.0 target is aligned with the projections developed under Malaysia’s Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LTLEDS), which support national aspiration to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, as well as the economic growth projections outlined in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) and other key national policies such as the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).

It also added that the establishment of the NDC 3.0 also signals Malaysia’s readiness to engage in international cooperation through the carbon market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

It said such cooperation would enable Malaysia and other countries to jointly implement carbon projects that provide green investment benefits, employment opportunities, low-carbon technology transfer, and technical support for Malaysia’s transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.