IT’S hard to believe that we’re almost at the end of 2024. This was a momentous year. While global ambitions on climate, biodiversity, tackling pollution, and addressing conflict and its horrific consequences may not have gone as far or as fast as we might have wished for, some progress was made. Looking forward to 2025, there are several challenges and opportunities that we should all be thinking about since their impacts are likely to be felt by us one way or another.
As Malaysia prepares to assume the Asean chairmanship in 2025, it is reassuring to see that our government and diplomats are taking a serious approach to this significant responsibility.
Under the banner of “inclusivity and sustainability”, our stewardship of Asean will spotlight climate change as a central concern. Malaysia’s leadership role comes amid the impending local launch of Malaysia’s National Planetary Health Action Plan, a blueprint poised to increase the profile and importance of mainstreaming sustainability into national policies.
Our progress on implementing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is better than many of our neighbours. By positioning planetary health as an element of its Asean chairmanship, Malaysia can galvanise collaborative action on climate change, peace, and security, while addressing the socioeconomic risks posed by environmental degradation and supporting joined-up SDG implementation.
Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has affirmed the nation’s commitment to strengthening regional collaboration on climate resilience, with an emphasis on advancing the Asean Carbon Credit Framework and tabling a collective climate statement at the next Conference of Parties on climate change, COP30, in Brazil in November 2025.
Regional mechanisms like the Asean Business Advisory Council’s push for standardised carbon trading align with Malaysia’s National Carbon Market initiative, a cornerstone of the country’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 45% by 2030.
These efforts reflect a broader commitment to embedding climate action in South-East Asia’s economic strategies. But this is clearly not enough.
Our level of ambition needs to recognise that there are some serious threats in the region. Climate change is increasingly recognised as a destabilising force in South-East Asia, exacerbating existing geopolitical flashpoints. The intersection of environmental stress and fragile political dynamics presents a growing threat to peace and security in the region.
Myanmar’s instability: The ongoing political crisis in Myanmar is compounded by climate vulnerabilities such as water scarcity, which has already fuelled localised conflict and displacement. Without regional cooperation, migration, including from climate-induced threats, risks overwhelming neighbouring Asean states once again.
The South China Sea: Rising sea levels threaten low-lying islands in the contested South China Sea, adding to existing tensions over maritime boundaries. The biodiversity crisis is fuelling these tensions as countries compete for access to dwindling supplies of fish in the contested area.
As Asean chair, Malaysia must continue the ongoing push for better ways to address these interconnected risks, advocating for climate adaptation measures alongside conflict resolution.
Flooding and displacement: Extreme weather events, like the six typhoons passing through the Philippines within 30 days in November, have become more frequent and severe, straining national and regional disaster response systems. This year’s monsoon floods in Malaysia, which displaced thousands and caused huge damage to homes and commercial and public infrastructure, highlight the urgency of bolstering regional resilience and solidarity.
Economically, a recent report by the World Economic Forum entitled Business on the Edge underscores the stakes: climate hazards could cost South-East Asia up to US$1.9 trillion (RM8.455 trillion) in economic losses by 2030 if adaptive measures are not prioritised.
Sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and fisheries – key drivers of Asean economies – are particularly vulnerable to disruptions from rising temperatures and extreme weather.
The Business on the Edge report provides some stark warnings for Malaysia and its neighbours. Industries vital to Asean’s economic growth face mounting risks from climate hazards, with the manufacturing sector alone projected to lose up to US$60bil (RM267bil) annually by 2030 due to climate- related supply chain disruptions.
Meanwhile, agriculture – a sector employing millions across South-East Asia – is at risk of a 20% productivity decline under worsening climate conditions.
The economic imperative is clear: Investing in climate resilience not only mitigates losses but also drives innovation.
On the domestic front, Malaysia’s climate governance is under scrutiny, with ongoing debate over the development of a comprehensive climate law. This legislation would formalise climate targets, enforce accountability, and attract green investments.
Closely linked to climate policy and legislation is the completion of the National Planetary Health Action Plan (NPHAP). The NPHAP envisions five societal shifts necessary to ensure Malaysia’s wellbeing and prosperity while demonstrating regional leadership: strengthening governance and natural resource management, fostering values-driven education and health, supporting planet-friendly businesses, promoting effective communication and cultural transformation, and securing sustainable financing.
By mainstreaming planetary health across all sectors, the plan provides a foundation for Malaysia’s leadership at home as well as in Asean.
Malaysia’s role as Asean chair 2025 comes at a defining moment for the nation and the region. The challenges are immense: typhoons, floods, climate-aggravated geopolitical tensions, and economic vulnerabilities underscore the urgency of decisive action to protect planetary health. Yet, they also present an unparalleled opportunity for Malaysia to lead by example, demonstrating how a planetary health-informed approach can serve as a unifying framework for sustainable development.
By placing planetary health at the heart of its 2025 agenda, Malaysia can help to move Asean towards a future where prosperity and environmental stewardship are inextricably linked, and ensuring the well-being of people and the planet for generations to come. But if we want this, we will need to push our leaders in the right direction.
A happy and healthy new year to everyone.
Dr Jemilah Mahmood, a physician and experienced crisis leader, is the executive director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health at Sunway University. She is the founder of Mercy Malaysia and has served in leadership roles internationally with the United Nations and Red Cross for the last decade. She writes on Planetary Health Matters once a month in Ecowatch. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
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