Climate Change Act in the pipeline: Nik Nazmi

KUALA LUMPUR – Less than a month in the office, the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change minister is pushing a few key initiatives to tackle climate change.

A day after announcing on Twitter the proposal to form a Parliamentary Select Committee on the Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has committed to formulate a new law to address climate change issues.

“In this regard, the Pakatan Harapan manifesto has outlined a few key areas of commitment including the legislation of the Climate Change Act which I intend to see through,” he told The Vibes.

He said that a meeting with Klima Action Malaysia (Kamy) and other NGOs recently have given his ministry greater impetus to move forward and make progress with the plans to address climate change.

Describing the discussion with the NGOs as positive, Nik Nazmi said the meeting emphasised the need to engage with key stakeholders in the formulation of progressive policies to safeguard the environment and address climate change.

“I believe more engagements are needed with like-minded groups that will allow my ministry to present a clear picture of forward-looking policies which address environmental concerns in the local context,” he added.

Kamy alongside Shah Alam Community Forest Society, Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre, Friends of Bukit Kiara, Friends of Bukit Dinding and Gabungan Darurat Iklim Malaysia asked the ministry for three things during the first 100 days of the new government.

The demands include:

• The formation of a Special Select Committee on Climate Change and Biodiversity
• The inclusive representation of local communities for effective decision and policymaking
• The government’s tabling of the Climate Change Act in Parliament

It is learned that at the December 12 meeting, the environmental groups also submitted a Climate Emergency Declaration, urging the government to declare a climate crisis and educate and empower the public towards a greater environmental justice movement.

“As mentioned, we have moved ahead with the proposal to set up the PSC on the Environment and Climate Change and we will continue to engage key stakeholders from all levels of communities to ensure our policies are inclusive in nature,” said Nik Nazmi.

The minister also said the proposed PSC would be among the early steps to draft clear policies and identify mitigation efforts with regards to climate change.

In response, Kamy chairperson Ili Nadiah Dzulfakar has applauded the proposal to form a select committee at the parliamentary level.

She stressed that the ministry should also be given ample time and space to reflect the government’s commitment to combat climate change.

In addition, she hoped that the ministry would continue to listen and work together with civil society “by empowering and enabling the communities when managing the climate crisis, battling climate change and taking steps for environmental protection.”

The climate action group, however, refused to take credit for the latest proposal by the ministry to form a parliamentary select committee.

“It has been up in the air for quite some time due to the hard work by several people in the environmental circle. We highlighted it and we want to see it materialise after it was proposed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in August last year when he was the opposition leader,” she explained.

On the international front, Nadiah called for Malaysia to take an important role in multilateral environmental negotiations with other states, “and provide the country’s much-needed leadership in global climate and environmental diplomacy.” – The Vibes, December 25, 2022