UAE Consensus at COP28 'historic turning point' in flight against climate change, says Nik Nazmi

PETALING JAYA: The UAE Consensus that was made during COP28 is a "historic turning point" in the fight against climate change, says Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said for the first time in the history of multilateral climate diplomacy, nations were calling upon the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5°C pathways by transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems.

"The transition efforts will be implemented justly, orderly and equitably, and follow the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities with respective capabilities enshrined under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

"It was a challenging effort to get every nation in line, yet historic progress on transition has been made. Let us build on this for a just and equitable transition moving forward, " he said in a statement on Thursday (Dec 14).

While "several" countries have committed to providing financial contributions, Nik Nazmi said that more needs to be done by developed countries.

"In my national statement on Dec 9 the high-level segment of COP28, I mentioned that all countries must contribute to fighting climate change based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC). Malaysia has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 45% in 2030 compared to 2005.

"Under our National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), we envisage decarbonising our energy and industrial sectors by elevating the share of renewable energy in our power installed capacity from 25% to 70% in 2050.

"Malaysia has done many things regarding climate change, and we would do much more and be willing to be more ambitious if we had support from the developed world. While we recognise that the road ahead may be challenging, we remain resolute and determined to navigate the transformative pathway," he said.