On climate change, Malaysia has three stories to tell

Adaptation measure: The SMART tunnel is a good example of using public infrastructure to divert rainwater from the city to a storage reservoir or holding pond. — Filepic

HOW is Malaysia faring in its battle against climate change? There are three stories to tell: the “OK” news (on mitigation); the “good” news (on green finance); and the “not-so-OK” news (on adaptation).

But first, Malaysia’s commitment to the global climate agenda needs to be appreciated. Despite its low share of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, of less than 1%, and its status as a developing nation, Malaysia was a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change all the way back in 1993, ratifying it a year later. And since the late 2000s, Malaysia has taken several steps to address climate change at the federal level, most recently, through to its newly launched National Energy Policy.