KUALA LUMPUR: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, said on Tuesday (Sept 30) new thought leadership and direction-setting are needed to tackle climate change effectively, stressing that action must be viewed through the lens of Maqasid al-Shariah, the spirit as well as the letter of Islamic law.
Delivering a special address at the 16th Roundtable of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS), His Royal Highness said the challenge of climate change demands bold, collective and innovative solutions.
"The situation is dire. Time has almost run out. And this is all the more frustrating because we know that when we do act boldly, when we act rapidly, when we act together, we can effect positive change," the Sultan said at the event held at a hotel here.
Sultan Nazrin stressed that climate change should not be politicised, warning that the absence of global consensus is hindering effective solutions.
"Climate change should be beyond partisanship. Yet it has become something of a political football. As such, we do not have the global consensus that is so desperately needed," he said.
His Royal Highness reminded participants that humans are entrusted as khalifah, or guardians, over the earth.
"As the famous Hadith says, ‘The earth is green and beautiful, and God has appointed you his guardians over it’. We have a God-given responsibility to protect the planet and everything on it, for now and for the future: a duty to keep the earth ‘green and beautiful’ for generations to come.
"It is a call to action which I believe resonates, regardless of faith or creed: since if climate change concern is beyond political partisanship, then it must be beyond religious differences as well. Through the lens of Maqasid al-Shariah, the path is clear," he said.
On the role of finance, Sultan Nazrin highlighted the potential of Islamic finance to support climate initiatives.
"Now a US$5 trillion industry worldwide, the growing Islamic finance sector has the tools and the resources needed to support the necessary investment in climate action," His Royal Highness said, noting Malaysia’s pioneering work in introducing the Sustainable and Responsible Investment Sukuk framework.
The Perak Sultan said around US$15bil was raised globally through Green Sukuk in 2024, funding projects ranging from solar farms and sustainable transport to biodiversity programmes, with the United Nations Development Programme recognising the instrument as a key solution for sustainable development.
Sultan Nazrin further underscored the importance of innovation in green technology.
"We must ensure that our green technology is really solving the problem, rather than simply shifting or transferring it.
"Already, we see solar panels being wastefully discarded; wind farm construction poisoning seas; and electric vehicle batteries using rare minerals extracted in environmentally destructive conditions. We must never assume that we have done enough," he added.
Themed ‘Guardians of the Earth: Climate Action Through the Lens of Maqasid al-Shariah’, the roundtable marks the 40th anniversary of OCIS and was attended by international dignitaries including former President of Turkiye Dr Abdullah Gul and former Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Dr Mohammed Al-Sabah. - Bernama
