![#MYD2018 Urges on Good Climate Governance in Letter to Committee for Institutional Reforms]()
by admin | May 31, 2018 | #IklimParlimen, #MYD, MYD2018, YouthStatement
Secretariat,
Committee on Institutional Reforms,
Level 32 Ilham Tower,
Jalan Binjai,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
To: The Secretariat, Committee of Institutional Reforms, Council of Eminent Persons
Date: 28 May 2018
Subject: Recommendations for Institutional Reforms and Issues
Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is a Malaysian civil society organisation that represents the local youth climate movement at international climate conferences, such as the annual Conference of the Parties (COP), part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Dedicated to raising awareness of climate policies amongst Malaysians, the youth are mentored and trained to translate technical policies into more relevant and relatable information for the public. MYD endeavours to hold Malaysian leaders accountable for the promises made at international climate summits.
Aim:
- This paper outlines the structural defects that stunt the decision-making process to address climate change, and subsequently offers an appropriate redressal mechanism for good climate governance.
Background:
2. Pakatan Harapan’s historic win in the 14th General Election serves as a symbol of renaissance in governance and democracy. The Malaysian Youth Delegation commends the Committee for Institutional Reforms’ invitation for written representations from the public as it shows the ruling coalition’s encouragement for the people to be involved in the democratic process, and its inclusivity when it takes into account of public opinion. In that spirit, we would like to propose several institutional reforms in regards to administration of climate change and environment.
3. In accordance to Janji 39 of Pakatan Harapan Manifesto, the National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation (Majlis Koordinasi Kebangsaan untuk Adaptasi dan Mitigasi Iklim) will be established to coordinate Federal, State and Local Government actions against Climate Change.
4. Taking cue from the governance of the National Steering Committee on climate change, we call for actions to enable collaboration between agencies to align and integrate actions towards climate change mitigation and adaptation, through transparent information dissemination and redefined agency objectives in the National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation. This is because our existing policies and frameworks on climate change i.e. 11th Malaysia Plan, National Physical Plan 3, National Policy on Climate Change (2009), Low Carbon Cities Framework (2011) as well as other related policies for instance energy, waste management, agriculture etc. must be streamlined for coherent execution.
Figure 1: Institutional Arrangement and Thematic Grouping for Climate Change Action Governance in Malaysia (Biennial Update Report to UNFCCC, 2016)
Recommendations:
A. Greater Integration in the Ministry and Agencies
5. The Ministry of National Resources and Environment (NRE) must be retained, as it is an important portfolio in managing Malaysia’s vast and rich natural resources and its climate policy. It plays a crucial role in maintaining 50% of our forest cover, which was initially pledged in the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 by Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, then later reiterated by former Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Razak in 2015.
6. The functions of the various departments involved in the conservation and management of natural resources must be reviewed and integrated where necessary to ensure there is no functional overlap that leads to inefficiency and unaccountability. For example, although Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (JPSM) functions to manage forests and sustainable use of forest resources while Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar (PERHILITAN) functions to protect wildlife, both departments involve biodiversity conservation. Thus there should be a coordinated mechanism for implementation and monitoring to fulfill this purpose.
7. The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industry (MOA) must also break away from the ‘silo approach’ and work with the Ministry of NRE as it involves the management of our natural resources, the focus on yield and revenue in research must be balanced with conservation, sustainability and food security. For instance conversion of natural forest to agricultural land use may affect carbon sequestration as well as release of greenhouse gas (GHG).
8. Conservation on Marine Species should also be re-delineated as whether it is more appropriate to be managed under NRE or Department of Fisheries (under MOA) as conservation is crucial to sustainable use of marine resources. On top of that, there must be an emphasis on coral reef conservation as more than 55% of the released carbon is captured by marine organisms, and coral bleaching is one of the major causes of carbon sink reduction. Otherwise, the MOA would simply be counterproductive to the NRE which would amount to wasteful expenses of the taxpayer’s money.
9. Likewise, in order to achieve the goal of 40% carbon emissions reduction by 2020 as stated in Janji 39, focus must be directed beyond the energy sector to include other GHG-contributing sectors such as the transportation and waste management which requires working together with the relevant ministries.
10. We would like to highlight the following Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation actions that should be placed under the new Ministry of Natural Resources or under the purview of Majlis Koordinasi Kebangsaan untuk Adaptasi dan Mitigasi Iklim based on the First Biennial Update Report (BUR) that was submitted to the UNFCCC in 2016:
Call for Actions:
On Climate Change Mitigation:
11. Increase access to affordable and sustainable energy. The current mechanism that impedes wider progress are as follows:
- Limited funding constricts wider deployment of Renewable Energy through the Feed-in-tariff (FiT) mechanism.
- Limited financial resources and capacity obstructs the development of a sound and holistic energy efficiency plan.
12. Practice interagency inclusive decision-making. The current defects that impedes wider integrations are as follows:
- Lack of coordination among relevant local, state, federal agencies for waste management due to restricted applicability of legislation in certain states.
- Lack of effective coordination has hindered the implementation of the 3R (reuse, reduce and recycle) programme.
13. Revive GHG Inventory Projects, NAMA & MRV. GHG identification and quantification are essential to track progress, currently we:
- Lack of proper assessment tools and skills to enable accurate quantification of GHG emissions.
14. Regulate Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Activities. The current mechanism that impedes wider progress are as follows:
- Competing socio-economic development puts strain on land use patterns, while economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by forests remain largely invisible and undervalued.
- Land use change affects peat-lands and associated peat fires result in increased emissions.
15. Reduce Emission from Transportation Sector. The current defects that impedes wider integrations are as follows:
- The current policy on fuel subsidy without proportional incentive for hybrid and electric vehicles gives rise to more private vehicle use that would lead to significant growth in energy consumption and GHG emission in the transportation sector.
- The enhancement of the public transportation system that has expanded beyond mass connection to bus system will counter the move to reduce GHG emissions unless the planned 10, 000 new buses includes a mix of electric and Euro 6 fuel efficient buses.
- Technology compatibility challenges for certain vehicle engine models in using progressively higher composition of palm oil biofuel in biodiesel blends for vehicles.
16. Reduce Emission from Livestock Production. The increase in meat consumption has led to the increase in GHG, as such:
- The growth in human population and increasing income per capita, in turn increases the demand in meat production, accounting emissions from livestock by-products, as well as direct and indirect emissions.
- The MOA should work with relevant agencies to monitor and increase research on the effects and consumption of the livestock industry, moving towards more sustainable practices of organic and plant-based farming for mitigation measures.
On Climate Change Adaptation:
17. Expedite a National Adaptation Plan. The current defects that impedes wider integrations are as follows:
- Approach to adaptation has been largely on a sectoral basis in response to specific needs, leading to lack of holistic and advanced planning for adaptation to climate change.
- Lack of capacity in interpreting data from high-resolution climate change projection scenarios for adaptation assessment and application in various sectors.
18. Assess coastal vulnerability.
- Detailed sea-level rise studies have only been conducted at some vulnerable coastal areas.
- Impacts of extreme weather events continuously take a heavy toll on lives, livelihoods and infrastructures, despite cumulative efforts on flood mitigation.
- Implementation of Integrated Flood Management (IFM), Integrated Flood forecasting and early warning systems (EWS) needs to be expanded to all river basins, taking into account the role of forests in IFM.
- Assessments of impacts of sea-level rise, and its impact on groundwater and saline intrusion taking into consideration socio-economic effects need to be improved.
19. Revise major development without climate change adaptation.
- Essential infrastructure such as roads, railways, seaports and airports, public amenities and private properties are currently constructed without factoring in the impacts of climate change.
- Increased challenges of reducing energy consumption for cooling purposes, while durability of conventional building materials could be shortened by excessive heat.
20. Study food security and sustain farmers’ livelihood.
- The yields of crops are susceptible to extreme weather patterns and could affect food security.
- Smallholders and farmers slow to adopt good agricultural practices that could help them adapt to climate change.
21. Expedite biodiversity conservation and adaptation.
- Limited data and information on impacts of climate change on species and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems available to public.
B. Inclusion of Youth in Climate Policy
22. We call for the inclusion of youth representation from a civil society organisation in the National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation. Intergenerational equity lies in the core of sustainable development, that is, development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is imperative then, that the voice of the youths are well-represented in the decision-making process as they will be facing the consequences of policies that determine the management of natural resources as well as the irreversible effects of climate change.
C. Revamping Climate Education Policies
23. Comprehensive climate and environment education be made or included in core subjects for primary and secondary education. This is important in providing a holistic understanding of the interdependent relationship between the climate-earth system and humanity to invoke climate-consciousness among students when they analyse real-world issues like sustainable development, poverty and food security.
24. Building the capacity of students in school encourage changes in their attitudes behaviour builds a more informed and engaged society that conserves and consumes responsibly.
Conclusion
25. As Malaysia turns a new leaf, many reforms will be made. In the midst of this, we must ensure the focus on climate action is not lost. MYD is encouraged by the affirmations of the PH government, and looks forward to mutual engagement for a brighter, safer, and sustainable Malaysia.
For enquiries, please contact:
Nachatira Thuraicamy | t.nachatira@gmail.com | 011-2100 5882
Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham | j.irishailham@gmail.com | 018-463 4594
mydclimatechange@gmail.com
![Role of Civil Society in Climate Negotiations]()
by admin | May 31, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, ClimateAction, MYD2018, UNFCCC
In light of the discussions on the Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto as the new ruling government, my friends adjured me on what I had envisioned for the new Malaysia by 2020. It was a loaded question!
Being with the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD), our team battles the ticking time to tackle issues regarding climate action to the best of our capabilities. The newly formed government’s manifesto envisions Malaysia to transform its economy, governance, social well-being, and our concern, the environment.
Our voice certainly isn’t representative of the entire Malaysian youth but one thing remains indisputable: every Malaysian youth wants a brighter future, better world for themselves and the next generation. Therefore, in the spirit of climate action, we progressed by conducting a training series to assist our fellow members and interested youth/public with knowledge on climate action.
The Third Training Series happened on May 27, 2018 as we welcomed our honourable speaker, Mr. Nithi Nesadurai, who is the President of Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM) to share his knowledge on the Role of Civil Society Organisations in Climate Negotiations and his vast experiences by attending the Conference of Parties (COP). During the commencement of his sharing session, he expressed his gratitude towards young leaders, who were of great help in environmental related projects.
Mr Nithi Nesadurai, President of EPSM, giving a brief introduction.
Mr. Nithi started with explaining the background of COP and Operasi Lalang. According to him, in the 1980s, the general relationship between government and environmental organisations were strained but eventually turned relaxed as they grew being supportive of each other due to these organisations’ help under technical areas to the government. Nonetheless, it would be ignorant on our part to dismiss the effort put in by these groups to hasten environmental action. He then proceeded to speak about the interactions of the society and government, and society with international negotiations w.r.t climate negotiations.
After this, we had shifted to learning on the process leading to Rio Summit under the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Within the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21 aimed to improve sustainable development and action in the 21st century. In this agenda under Section 3, groups such as women, children/youth, indigenous people were incorporated.
Participants and MYD members listening to the intriguing talk!
One of the crucial component of this talk was the role of Climate Action Network (CAN) in Climate Change action. One of this organisation’s aims were to withhold the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), which has been subtly fading in the recent climate negotiations. He explained that with CBDR, the developed countries were ought to initiate and set leadership example by reducing the emissions first, which was to be followed by the developing countries under the funding and technological assistance by the developed to aid a low-carbon development. Mr. Nithi highlighted the differences in approach for the Global North and Global South. Typically, the North tended to go in depth into one specific area of policy whereas the South often covered wider aspect but weren’t comprehensive.
The roles and structure of CAN was also explained briefly. CAN in climate negotiations, is consistently working towards inducing more ambitious climate change regimes and effective lobbying, for instance, directly engaging with negotiators, sharing viewpoints and gaining knowledge He explained about hpw ECO was a highly regarded daily use bulletin in the climate policy arena. It generally gave an insight on the events and news that had occurred the previous day. He had also explained the infamous “Fossil of The Day” – an event that identified a respective country that proved to be an obstruction or a nation that attempted to stall negotiations in a given day or time period during COPs.
As he headed towards the end of the sharing session, he listed some challenges as well. First and foremost, was pertaining to the badges. He notified us that Poland did not like civil society organisations and it would be against the law to rally. Secondly, the meetings enabled for the civil society would be diminished due to lesser number of yellow badges in contention.
At the end of the talk, Mr Nithi gave a round of advices to the civil society participants for learning and understanding issues. He emboldened us to select an issue that is appealed to oneself. He encouraged to seek answers from people that could clarify one’s queries and asked to join the respective working groups.
The day ended with giving the token of appreciation to Mr. Nithi Nesadurai.
Aida Amirul, the emcee of the day delivered her appreciation to Mr Nithi.
‘Plants bring good smiles’ – Mr. Nithi’s handed over a chili plant by Lhavanya.
A token of appreciation to Brixston Academy, our location provider.
‘The Dream Team’ with their ultimate C for Climate Change sign.
In the spirit of TS 3 this week, I would like to dedicate this piece to all the prominent figures in MYD who have inspired the pioneers to become the kind of environmentalists that we are today. Even though MYD works progressively in pace, we are the backbone of society and one of the country’s pillar of strength. We often don’t realise that we are where we are today not solely through our own efforts. Somewhere in the past, someone has revolutionised the way succeeding generations should live, whether it was by improving their way of life through material means or by reforming their intellect. Indeed, MYD family will stand true to our own purpose. Cheers to the upcoming Training Series!
Written by Sarah
Edited by Varun
![#MYD2018 Training Series: The Role of CSO in Climate Negotiations]()
by admin | May 24, 2018 | #MYD, Knowledge, MYD Training Series, MYD2018, UNFCCC
Details:
As part of the MYD Training Series, Mr. Nithi Nesadurai, President of Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM) and Regional Coordinator of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia (CANSEA), will deliver a talk on how Civil Society Organization (CSO) play a crucial role in at the UNFCCC level and how observers contribute in the overall power play of the international climate negotiation process.
This event is open to everyone, so do come!
Date: 27th May 2018 (Sunday)
Time: 9.30am – 12pm
Venue: Brixsten Academy, No, 69,71,73 (Mezzanine Floor) Jalan SS22/19, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Speaker: Nithi Nesadurai, President of Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM) and Regional Coordinator of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia (CANSEA)
Schedule:
- 9:00-9:30am- Registration
- 9:30-11:30am- Training Series
- 11:30am-12:00pm – Q&A
- 12:00pm – End
Registration
#MYD Training Series – Training on UNFCCC negotiations and media work with various climate experts, government bodies and civil society leaders. Each sessions will run for approximately 2 hours and will be available on Facebook for future reference.
![MYD Calls On Pakatan Harapan Government to Strengthen Climate Action in Malaysia]()
by admin | May 16, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018, UNFCCC, YouthStatement
MEDIA STATEMENT
16 MAY 2018
MALAYSIAN YOUTH DELEGATION CALLS ON PAKATAN HARAPAN GOVERNMENT TO STRENGTHEN CLIMATE ACTION IN MALAYSIA
With the historic win by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition in the 14th General Elections on 9th May 2018 under their belt, the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) urges the PH government to prioritise climate change and environmental issues, as stated in their Buku Harapan. The Malaysian Youth Delegation wishes to bring forward three key areas of focus for the coalition as the transition to government gets underway:
-
Importance must be placed on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)
Since its inception in 2004, NRE has been a key factor in the fight against climate change, and in managing Malaysia’s vast and rich natural resources, which are crucial to our economy. NRE has not been named as one of the first 10 ministries by the Prime Minister. While we understand that more ministries will be announced at a later date, we must stress the importance of maintaining the NRE portfolio. Furthermore, we call for the strengthening of the Environmental Management and Climate Change Division within NRE. We believe it would provide better guidance over mitigation and adaptation plans in the face of climate change and adverse weather events, as well as further advocate climate change education among Malaysians. Additionally, NRE plays a crucial role in maintaining 50% of our forest cover, which was initially pledged in 1992 by Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, then later reiterated in 2015 by former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak. We urge the PH government to maintain this commitment as Malaysia’s forests play an important role in preserving our rich biodiversity, while acting as a natural carbon sink.
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Transparency and inclusion in environmental and sustainability promises (7, 8, 39)
We laud PH in calling itself an environmentally friendly government, and we look forward to the roll out of the sustainability measures mentioned in Promise 39 of Buku Harapan. The intent to form a National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation is commendable, but it will need to be inclusive. We call upon the PH government to provide youth a seat at the table so that our voices can be heard. Climate change is the most pressing global issue of our time and the youth of this country, who will face the full brunt of climate change in the coming decades, deserve to have a platform to contribute fresh ideas. Further emphasis should be placed on our National Adaptation Plan as a means of protecting Malaysians who will be vulnerable to climate impacts presently and in the future.
The reintroduction of petrol subsidies, decrease in excise duties of imported cars and the abolishment of highway tolls will encourage use of private vehicles, which is contradictory to other sustainable development plans. To counteract this, efforts in enhancing public transport nationwide need to be ramped up. MYD commends the plan to put 10,000 new public buses on the road. These buses should should be a mix of electric and Euro 6 fuel efficient buses, and should be part of comprehensive plans on providing better, cleaner and safer modes of transportation, accessible to all Malaysians. A success story that should be emulated across the nation is the Smart Selangor Free Bus program. Additionally, incentives for hybrid and electric vehicles should be reintroduced in the next National Budget.
The goal of 40% carbon emissions reduction by 2020 is ambitious and is laudable, but requires further delineation and should be aligned with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) pledged by Malaysia in ratifying the Paris Agreement. To achieve this goal, emphasis will have to be placed on not just the energy sector by way of renewable energy investments, but also other major GHG-contributing sectors such as the transportation, waste management and agricultural sectors. That being said, our renewable energy future shall be nuclear-free and MYD fully supports the PH government’s stance on this. To facilitate this, we urge to maintain and strengthen the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA), as we forge a path forward to a low-carbon society in Malaysia.
MYD is willing to participate and engage as a youth and environmental CSO in Malaysia, should there be a monitoring committee organised to ensure delivery of promises.
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Continued commitment and ratcheting up of NDCs in accordance with the Paris Agreement 2015 (Article 4)
In Malaysia’s Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted to the UNFCCC, Malaysia has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity of GDP by 35% by 2030 relative to the emissions intensity of GDP in 2005, with an additional 10% upon receipt of climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building from developed nations. MYD expects the PH government not only to commit to maintaining this pledge, but to also ratchet up and increase ambition in accordance with Article 4 of the Paris Agreement.
While there is a need for all nations to increase their ambitions via NDCs, there is also the need for increased assistance from developed nations. MYD expects the PH government to continue to fight for equitable climate solutions for Malaysia on the international stage, especially in the realms of climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to fulfil the 10% conditional GHG emissions intensity of GDP reduction.
In accordance with Article 11 of the Paris Agreement, we also encourage the PH government to place priority on climate change capacity building. We need to equip Malaysians with the skills necessary to think of solutions and take actions to adapt to adverse climate impacts such as unpredictable rainfall and flash floods which have struck our country in recent years.
As Malaysia turns a new leaf, many reforms will be made. In the midst of this, we must ensure the focus on climate action is not lost. MYD is encouraged by the promises made by the PH government and we look forward to engaging in a meaningful manner for a brighter, more sustainable and safer Malaysia.
-END-
For enquiries, please contact:
Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham | j.irishailham@gmail.com | 018-463 4594
Mike Campton | michael.campton@gmail.com | 012-273 8180
mydclimatechange@gmail.com
![MYD18 (Re)Treat]()
by admin | May 13, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018.
Happy faces of MYD2018 and buddies!
A month prior to the Retreat, a recruitment process consisting of an array of online applications and interviews were held to provide an opportunity for climate change enthusiasts to be part of the 2018 batch of MYD. Shortlisted applicants were invited to the Retreat where they participated in group activities and learnt in-depth on MYD activities.
Being invited to the Retreat did not mean automatic acceptance into MYD2018. Little did the participants know that the facilitators were surveilling them – not in a creepy way, of course! They were monitored on their level of participation and interaction with each other.
DAY 1
The first day kicked off with a brief introduction and ground rules to get everyone on the same page. Then, Emily conducted the good ol’ ice-breaking session. To make it slightly more fun (besides telling their names and what they do), Emily asked each person to grab the first thing they saw, and then describe themselves based on the item.
For the second ice-breaking round, the participants were split into groups of 4 or 5. Each group were given a few random words with which they had to create a story. All of us certainly got some good laughs listening to their imaginative stories!
The participants were then pulled into the world of UNFCCC by none other than the Head of Policy and Climate Change Department at WWF-Malaysia, Ms. Lavanya Rama Iyer. Besides a brief intro on what’s UNFCCC and how the Paris Agreement came about, Lavanya also shared Malaysia’s role in all of it. The participants were pretty active in asking questions and putting their thoughts out, which was a GOOD SIGN!
What better way to digest all of the information than with lunch! Our MYD member, Daniel and his colleague at EPIC, prepared bihun for lunch (with a vegan option included!). EPIC Collective had this huge island table with quirky overhead light bulbs in the pantry that was impeccable for communal meals.
The next session was a rather informal sharing session by our MYD member, Thomas. With just the whiteboard and a marker pen, sifu Thomas masterminded us through the History of UNFCCC: Past, Present and Future – from 1972 to 2023.
As Thomas was ending his presentation, MYD had an unexpected person dropping by to say hi – and it was none other than the founder himself, Mr Adrian Yeo! Since he came all the way despite his busy schedule, MYD decided to give him some space in the itinerary to speak (lol). Adrian was invited to the front to give a few words. He laid out what MYD was from his perspective, what the participants could expect from joining MYD and what he hoped MYD could achieve this year.
MYD invited another guest, Ms. Shakila, the Head of Sustainability at Cenergi SEA Sdn Bhd, to enlighten us about Climate Policy and its relationship with the energy sector. She first gave an overview of how the Paris Agreement was negotiated and why the energy sector was important to keep the 2-degree pathway. According to her, stakeholder engagement was crucial in implementing the Paris Agreement and besides the relevant government agencies, corporations in the green energy business would also be required to participate in discussions. Based on the 2016’s national energy profile, renewable energy contributed to not more than 2% of the total energy supply. So there’s still a long way to go for mainstreaming renewable energy in Malaysia!
For tea break, Daniel’s colleague kindly brought in two jugs of Bubur Kacang. A wonderful concoction of coconut milk, mung beans, sweet potato and palm sugar.
At 5pm when it should’ve been nap time, Azam with his contagious charisma got everyone to play a game. For this team bonding session, each team were given only two items: newspaper and a roll of tape. They had to create a sturdy house that can resist or adapt to climate change. Each house were then subjected to three tests: earthquake (aggressive shaking of the table), hurricane (aggressive fanning of a newspaper) and landslide (hitting of the house with a bag full of balled up newspaper).
The second game was more of a memory test. Each team was given 30 logos of local and international environmental organizations and bodies. They were then tasked to arrange the logos in the exact order as specified in an answer sheet. The trick was that this answer sheet was placed outside the room. From each team, only one member could run outside to look at the logo arrangement and return with the patterns in their head. They then had to arrange the logos on their table to match what they remembered from the sheet outside. Although not an easy task for one person to memorize the order in which 30 logos were arranged, with the teamwork of several people working concurrently, teams managed to pull the game off in under 10 minutes! We then spent the next half an hour going over what the logos represented and the functions of the organizations.
Dinner and Movie
We proceeded with dinner (with vegan-friendly option, of course!) and concluded the night with a movie screening of Before the Flood, a documentary on climate change starring Leonardo DiCaprio, a longtime environmental activist who advocates on the urgency of the current planetary crisis, addressing accelerating climate change, unprecedented loss of biodiversity and the increase in human health issues due to anthropogenic induced activities.
DAY 2
When most people were sleeping in on a calm Sunday morning, the facilitators and the retreat participants were already devouring breakfast at 8.30am. Breakfast was proudly catered by our MYD member, Phoenix, through her “Strip Club” social enterprise dedicated to food and nutrition security in the face of climate change. With the help of her dad, Phoenix prepared two types of delicious, vegan-friendly sandwiches – peanut butter & fresh banana sandwich, and caramelised onion & mushroom sandwich. Guess which one was the majority’s favourite?
Scrumptious vegan-friendly breakfast that made everyone’s day bright and early in the morning.
The first session of the day was a presentation by our MYD member, Jasmin, on the Role of Youth in UNFCCC. She gave a brief introduction of the role and dynamics of the Malaysian Youth Delegation within the UNFCCC framework, especially under the YOUNGO constituency. Jasmin added in her experience contributing towards opportunities under YOUNGO such as writing intervention, as well as her involvement in different working groups.
Getting to Know MYD 101 with Jasmin while tries to explain to the participants on what MYD do… without them getting lost.
The second team bonding session of the Retreat was the infamous “Toilet Agreement”, or as Thomas put it – The Pangsai Agreement. Long story short, the objective of the session was to come up with an agreement within a timeframe to fix a hypothetical broken toilet.
The aim of this session was to imitate the UNFCCC’s negotiation process, or to put it simply, a mini COP simulation. The ultimate objective was to let the participants experience and understand the negotiation process and the power play between developed and developing countries. Generally, when it comes to climate change negotiations, political will and science are equally important.
Next up was the sharing session by MYD Buddies. Essentially, MYD2017 members shared a bit more about their overall experience being in MYD i.e. what they did pre-COP, during COP and post-COP. The point of this session was to show the participants what it actually means to be part of MYD so that they may decide themselves on how much and how far they want to contribute for MYD2018.
After the MYD Buddies sharing session, every participant shared their thoughts on the Retreat as a whole and how they saw themselves in MYD or how they would like to learn from being in MYD. Suffice to say, the participants were keen to be involved with MYD and ready to contribute their various talents and skills.
“Meme” for thought!
Well, let’s just see how far they’ll go!
Written with grace by Diyana, Jasmin, Mike, Thomas and Kelvin
Edited with the meme by Varun
![Join the Malaysian Youth Delegation 2018]()
by admin | Mar 22, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
Join the Malaysian Youth Delegation 2018!
We are recruiting for this year’s Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) to COP24!
Do you care about climate change?
Are you interested in learning about climate change policies?
Are you keen on collaborating with like-minded youths internationally?
If this sounds like you, then you are welcome to be part of the team!
Established in 2015, MYD provides a unique, one-of-its kind training ground for aspiring young Malaysians aged 18-30 years old to be engaged in policy making and advocacy in the climate realm at local and international level. MYD is the only youth led organisation in Malaysia which focuses on climate change policy and negotiations, providing a platform for curious and interested youth to explore the world of climate agreements at the United Nations platform.
Specialised and tailored programmes are designed to advocate on integrated policy studies on multilateral and national platform. A series of policy reading and understanding sessions will be carried out for 8 months, prior to representing the Malaysian youth climate movement at the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24) of the United Nations Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC).
COP24 will take place from 3-14 December in Katowice, Poland.
MYD acts as a mobilizer in improving the transparency of the negotiation process of Malaysia at the UNFCCC and disseminating information to the public.
We expect interested applicants to have keen interest in climate change policy and negotiations, high level of commitment, excellent team player, highly motivated individuals, coherent communication skills and proactive in taking up responsibilities.
Application deadline is on 8th April 2018.
We look forward to reviewing your application!
Countdown to COP24
