![Are financial sectors excluded from the climate change conversation in Malaysia?]()
by admin | Jul 24, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD2018
For the first time ever, Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP), also known as the Retirement Fund (Incorporated), hosted the KWAP Inspire: Environmental Conference 2018. It was a two days conference, held on 17th and 18th July 2018 at the Grand Hyatt, Kuala Lumpur.
The conference intends to connect the business world, government and environmental activists together to achieve environmental-friendly practices in business. Partnered with WWF as key knowledge advisor, the conference hopes to support the sustainable development agenda to ensure a better environment for future generations.
Impressive line up of speakers were the main attraction for corporates, industry players and NGOs alike to attend the conference. The breadth of topics covered between both days were also eye-catchers, with presentations and conversations revolving around climate finance, stranded assets, fossil fuel, Paris Agreement, ESG, food security and climate risks.
Malaysian Youth Delegations representatives at the KWAP Inspire Environmental Conference 2018
Among the prominent speakers include representatives from PRI, InfraCo Asia, Standard Chartered Berhad, Amanie Group, United Nations Environment Programme, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, AXA Investment Managers, Sime Darby Plantations, McDonalds, Global Environment Centre, Malaysian Nature Society, PACOS Trust and Bursa Malaysia.
I participated in the conference on behalf of the Malaysian Youth Delegation, along with Syahirah and Aaliyah. Coming from a youth NGO that focuses on climate change policy and education, we were very eager to attend the conference and learn on the private sector’s perspective on climate change, in particularly related to climate finance. I must admit, I have very little knowledge on climate finance as it is not an area which I am particularly keen on, albeit equally important nevertheless. Attending this conference is definitely me stepping out of my comfort zone, to learn more on a topic that was very alien to me.
Looking Beyond Fossil Fuel
with Robert Swan, One of the world’s greatest explorers.
Transitioning to a low-carbon future paves a path towards opportunities in the renewable energy sector, but at the same time, leave carbon-intensive energy assets stranded. Not only that, the value of real estate, agriculture and infrastructure will be affected. Thus, it is important for fossil fuel companies to diversify its portfolio.
However, although the Paris Agreement put forward an increase in ambition for targets, many firms and investors are still unsure of the mechanism of how the emissions reductions will happen, and how much assets will be stranded in the nearby future.
Many asset owners are reanalysing environmental and safety issues in regards to investment strategies, making explicit references to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) in development and execution of their investment strategies. In KWAP’s effort to promote ESG values and standards, it had set aside RM800mil to be invested in international initiatives through fund managers locally and internationally. It aims to grow its ESG portfolio to 70% from 50%-60% in order to strengthen it capabilities in responsible investments.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room
Satya Tripathi, Senior Adviser for 2030 Agenda from Sustainable Development, United Nations Environment Programme, was one of the speakers in the “Innovative Approaches to Green Finance” session. He touched on the Emission Gap Report and stated that we are unable to keep global temperature rise well below 2C, preferably 1.5C, without private finance. We have to address the elephant in the room – and the elephant in the room when it comes to combating climate change is, the private sector. The question is, how are private sectors, as key players, been neglecting their contribution towards the health of the environment?
Feeling Left Out of the Conversation
Not me.
I had the opportunity to have a conversation with the CEO of KWAP, Datuk Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad. Datuk Wan has great vision for KWAP upholding sustainability, reiterating KWAP’s commitment as a responsible investor. KWAP became a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Sustainable Investment (PRI) in February 2018, making its mark as the first pension fund in Malaysia to demonstrate commitment towards responsible investing.
There’s a reason why the KWAP Inspire Environmental Conference 2018 is one of its kind in Malaysia. Datuk Wan expressed his frustration that financial sectors are often excluded in conversations when it comes to climate change, particularly in Malaysia. The government and NGOs know their roles in addressing climate change, but the private sector and financial sector still need to catch up. So, how do we improve the state of communication in between sectors and bridge the gap?
Providing Inclusive Platform
with CEO of KWAP, Datuk Wan Kamaruzaman Wan Ahmad.
Did I mention that the conference costs RM1,880 per person to attend?
KWAP Inspire Environmental Conference 2018 brought big sponsors from the asset management sector, including Affin Hwang Capital, Aiiman, Amundi, BNP Paribas, CIMB Principal, Glennmont Partners, Kenanga, Nikko Am and Serba Dinamik, among others. It also brought big names in the environmental industry such as Robert Swan, One of the world’s greatest explorers, and Nadya Hutagalung, Eco-Activist and TV Personality. The conference was priced at such as it was meant to attract corporate attendees – and the content of the conference reflected just that.
The price of the conference raised a debate on whether the conference was being “inclusive”, or rather it is “just another fancy corporate conference”. The Malaysian Youth Delegation is very grateful to be invited to attend the conference as I believe that we learned a lot on the role of financial institutions in addressing climate change, and the knowledge that we have obtained will definitely be beneficial as we know understand better.
However, the platform limits opportunities for students, NGOs, and interested individuals who are keen on the topic discussed but constrained due to financial capabilities.
Perhaps the first step for the financial sectors to be included in the climate change conversation in Malaysia, is to be inclusive.
Written by Jasmin
![RM1.4 billion spent in just two months – Time to end fuel subsidies]()
by admin | Jul 20, 2018 | #MYD, In The News, Knowledge, MYD2018, YouthStatement
It’s been just over two months since the Pakatan Harapan coalition came into power. In that time, the Malaysian government has spent RM1.4 billion on fuel subsidies, as estimated by Rafizi Ramli in a recent blogpost. Soon after winning GE-14, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced that the weekly price float mechanism for RON95 and diesel would be removed, fixing them at RM2.20 and RM2.18 per liter respectively. This price fix will remain in place until the end of the year as the government studies potential avenues to implement its targeted fuel subsidy policy outlined in the PH manifesto.
Continued subsidies will only portray an artificially low cost of fuel to the rakyat, while encouraging private vehicle usage, leading to more urban road congestion and increased carbon emissions. This leads us down a dangerous path of normalizing subsidies once again – at a time when it’s more important than ever to wean off fossil fuel consumption. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Malaysia has shown its commitment to reaching our global temperature increase target. The reintroduction of fuel subsidies completely contradicts our contributions to solving the global climate crisis. The government is paying money to continue to emit carbon, at a time when expenditure is becoming increasingly scrutinised.
The moral reasons notwithstanding, the reintroduction of fuel subsidies may be popular and well received by the general Malaysian population. The Pakatan Harapan coalition ran on a pro-Rakyat, pro-welfare platform, emphasizing the need for a reform to the high cost of living. Throwing fuel subsidies into the bucket of tactics to reduce cost of living is short sighted and this is where we need to have a conversation about externalised costs.
While the rakyat may benefit from more affordable fuel at point of sale, the true cost – or externalised cost – is not appropriately accounted for. When we pay RM2.20 per liter at the petrol station, we are not considering the cost of health implications from pollution, the cost of loss of biodiversity, the cost of loss of agricultural productivity, along with all other hidden costs related to carbon emissions and climate change. While even the market price of fuel would not adequately cover all of these additional externalised costs, we should not be paying any less than that. When considering the welfare of the rakyat, the Pakatan Harapan government needs to have more future-oriented solutions revolving around sustainable development, good public transportation and renewable energy policies – further supporting the PH government’s manifesto item on increasing renewable energy to 20% by 2025.
In the era of fiscal responsibility, Malaysia could really use the savings from the removal of subsidies. While deterring increased use of fossil fuels, the savings could be used to incentivise more renewable energy and energy efficiency projects around the country. As a point of reference, just before GE-14, the Green Technology Financing Scheme was recently renewed for a period of five years from 2018 to 2022, to the tune of up to RM5 billion. To put that into perspective, at its current rate, the government will spend RM5 billion on fuel subsidies in under eight months. A Malaysia that prioritises good public transportation infrastructure and services, renewable energy and energy efficiency projects instead of fossil fuels is a Malaysia that is on the right track of developing in a sustainable manner.
[Tweet “we need drastic (climate) action now, and it starts with us quitting our fossil fuel addiction”]
While the fiscal argument to removing fossil fuel subsidies may be more convincing, we still need to make the moral argument. Over the last two centuries, the world has been built upon fossil fuels, with carbon-intensive development led by the West. This is the very premise to the argument that developed nations bear historical responsibility when it comes to fighting climate change. While Malaysia ought to champion the principle of equity on the international stage, we also need to be doing our part at home. By cutting fuel subsidies and throwing our full weight into sustainable mobility and renewable energy, we can lead the way, specifically in the Southeast Asia region, in actively finding ways to solve the climate crisis.
So here we stand – at a nation-defining juncture. #MalaysiaBaharu represents new hope for many. The question remains: do we want to look at the wellbeing of Malaysians only for the next five years, or for the next 50? We can either bid goodbye to a safe and secure future for our youth, or we can act now and make a difference. To get on a 2°C pathway, in line with the Paris Agreement, we need to take drastic (climate) action now, and it starts with us quitting our fossil fuel addiction. With strong political will, we can make a just energy transition happen.
Written by Mike
Read also: Fuel price hike statement
Date: 20 July 2018
ABOUT THE MALAYSIAN YOUTH DELEGATION (MYD)
A group of young passionate Malaysians who represent the local youth climate movement at international climate conferences, such as the annual Conference of the Parties, part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 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 holds speaking engagements with various climate organisations to better understand the current landscape of local and international climate policy. With that, MYD endeavours to hold Malaysian leaders accountable for the promises made at international climate summits.
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https://www.facebook.com/MalaysiaKini/posts/10155559124530906
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https://www.facebook.com/malaysiandigest/photos/a.327521535155.340339.298296545155/10160604476395156/
![#MYD2018 Training Series: Climate Finance: Mitigation and Adaptation]()
by admin | Jul 19, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD Training Series, MYD2018, UNFCCC
The Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is organizing its 6th Training Series on the 21st of July 2018. The upcoming Training Series will be on Climate Finance. This session will be focusing on the role of climate finance in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Dr. Gary Theseira will be leading the session as our trainer. Dr. Gary is the Deputy Under Secretary of the Environmental Management and the Climate Change Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia, pending new structural changes. Previously, he has served as the Senior Research Officer at the Tropical Forest Biodiversity Centre, at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM). Dr. Gary’s expertise lies in climate change policy and sustainable development. He is part of the Ministerial Core Group and the National Climate Change negotiators team (for COP7, COP12-23 and Rio+20), and has coordinated Like-Minded Developing Countries Group, the Group of 77 and China, and the ASEAN Member States in international climate change negotiations. He is also involved in the preparation of National Submissions and Communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund, supervise and monitor the implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism, as well as assist in REDD+ readiness and baseline planning and implementation.
Light refreshments will be served after the event. Don’t forget to bring your own utensils in effort to go green!
Details
The event is free and open to the public, so bring your family and friends to learn more about Malaysia’s involvement in UNFCCC! Below are the details of the event:
Date: 21st July 2018 (Saturday)
Time: 9.30 am – 1.30 pm
Trainer: Dr. Gary W. Theseira
Venue:
Kuala Lumpur Teaching Centre (KLTC)
The University of Nottingham Teaching Centre
Level 2, Chulan Tower
No. 3, Jalan Conlay
50450 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
https://www.nottingham.edu.my/AboutUs/Datesandcampusinformation/Mapsanddirections/KLTC.aspx
Location
Registration
The Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is a group of passionate Malaysian individuals who represent 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 holds speaking engagements with various climate organizations to better understand the current landscape of local and international climate policies. In doing so, MYD endeavors to hold Malaysian leaders accountable for the promises made at international climate summits.
![Malaysian Governance and the UNFCCC]()
by admin | Jul 15, 2018 | #MYD, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation’s fifth training series was organised with a little twist. We all got to dress up in our colourful festive clothings, while being engaged in an intense session on Malaysian governance for climate change mitigation plans. The workshop provided a brief overview and highlighted significant challenges faced by the previous Malaysian government. Not only that, the session allowed us to scrutinise the new government’s manifesto pertinent to climate change and environmental issues.
Adrian introducing his topic to the audience
Our trainer, Adrian Yeo is the former policy advisor to Selangor State Government on environmental issues and the founder of #PowerShiftMsia. Certainly, this area is his forte. Yeo introduced the session with United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The main criticism of the MDGs was the fact that it was very ambitious with 8 goals, yet being limited in terms of outreach – many stakeholders were working in silos pursuing their causes. Hence, the SDGs were established as an approach to diversify and expand the outreach. These goals were simply a guideline to lead a nation’s plan for holistic growth, which tended to be ignored unless a government decides to implement these recommendations through policies and law enactment.
Moving forward, Adrian succinctly described Malaysia’s development plans which were: New Economic Policy (1971-1990) or Dasar Ekonomi Baru, Vision 2020 (1991-2020) or Wawasan 2020, and the most auspicious policy drafted by the previous government being Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) or National Transformation 2050 (2020-2050).
Although the national plans considered the environmental implications and integrated climate change aspects, the first two plans did not prioritise climate change aspects at all. This was due to the major concern of developing the nation – the notion of sacrificing our natural resources was acceptable in exchange for better healthcare, economy, and quality of life in general. He remarked, “climate change was not sexy at that time” while referring the first two development plans but it was “sexier” for the past 10 years because it yielded funding and that most people looked at climate change as a singular or separate issue of development.
He further added that even scientists could not conclude wholly on the cause of climate change and he affirmed that people who translated and interpreted policies had to do better to communicate the cause of climate change to the public.
https://www.facebook.com/MYDclimate/videos/1829512677344413/
Besides creating public awareness, policy makers have to identify the focal point within a governance to create a lasting impact. The focal point for creating significant impacts lies in the plans by the government. Specific to Malaysia’s context, the main driving plan is often long term such as the New Economic Policy plan and the Vision 2020 plan. It is further specified into a five-years operational plan, which is then translated into the annual budget plan at the federal level. Then, every state will be responsible to table their own annual agenda with a budget and then towards the local council within each state. The operational plans and the budgeting have to be synchronised and aligned to achieve the larger vision as stated in the long term national plan.
Identifying the right channel and target audience ultimately creates a prominent impact. Hence, it is important for us as civil societies to identify the level of engagement and put proper pressure in creating and effective engagement through policies implementation. Basically, the commitments drawn in the Paris Agreement have to be acknowledged and placed in the right documents for the relevant stakeholders to be accountable in curbing climate change.
Attentive participants listening to Adrian
Also in this session, the relationship between the federal and state governments were also discussed. Shaqib, a member of the youth parliament was invited to provide a concise overview regarding the separation and overlapping of powers between the state and federal governments of Malaysia. Adding to this, he also reiterated the formation of Malaysian government since the pre-independence days for us to have a clearer understanding on how the country’s governance ran based on the Westminster system. Shaqib illustrated an acute issue that prevailed whereby, civil society members often face the problem to clarify the roles of the member of parliament (MP), member of legislative assembly (ML), as well as the representative of our local council- co. Putting it simply, the members of parliament conduct matters on the federal level such as acknowledging the international agreements, national policies, law amendments and gazetting. Consecutively, the members of the legislative assembly remain responsible to translate the federal law to the states’ law, and lastly, the local councillor implements laws and policies. This implied that if you represent a grassroots group, it might be more beneficial to engage with the councillor, whereas if you are a policy maker, lobbying towards the members of legislative assembly or the members of parliament would be more effective.
Shaqib, providing a concise overview regarding the separation and overlapping of powers between the state governments and the federal government of Malaysia.
Furthermore, to contextualise the discussion regarding the state list, federal list as well as concurrent list, one of the participant raised a question regarding the aboriginals in Malaysia. Matters pertaining to the aboriginals are under the federal list, however the forest and land issues came under the state list. The particular aboriginal group may lose their land to developmental projects since lands are not gazetted by the federal government. Hence, it is justifiable for a state to use their land according to their developmental plans. Additionally, matters on the concurrent list required deliberation from both the federal government and state government.
However, the entity that has more money are more favourable to implement their plans and policies. There is nothing enlightening about this fact, considering that money talks. Merely, it serves as a reminder for fellow activists to get to the right focal point for making a legitimate and long-lasting impact.
Despite the prevailing circumstances, #MalaysiaBaru manifestoes by the current government “Harapan” Coalition or the Pakatan Harapan seem hopeful as they had integrated climate change aspects and sustainable development vision. However, there were several loopholes in their promises especially those promises apposite to time.
Among their promises related to the environment were: Enforce the lodging quota strictly so that our forests are conserved, increase renewable energy through renewable resources from the current 2 percent to 20 percent by 2020, and nd set up a “National Coordination Council for Climate Adaptation and Mitigation” that will coordinate the actions of the federal, state, and local government to address the challenges of climate change.
These promises have its fault. Nonetheless, it is an aspiration for the new government paving their way to address climate change and environmental issues. It is also important to note that there is a new cabinet portfolio that is the Ministry of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment. Having a ministry to address climate change is great, yet all its actions could be in vain if the relevant stakeholders do not work together.
All the dressed-up participants for an informative session on the Malaysian Governance.
As citizens of Malaysia, it is vital for us to keep our leaders accountable to the words spewed during campaigns and see if it is translated into developmental plans. We have to keep up with the timeline to ensure that we are progressing towards the right direction. Nevertheless, the discussion was compelling as it established a shared sentiment that there is no one direct solution for climate change issues and we should work together.
https://www.facebook.com/MYDclimate/photos/a.1831004967195184.1073741835.1728653244097024/1831005873861760/?type=3&theater
Not only that, members of civil societies need to be proactive, instead of barking up the wrong tree so that the core problems can be identified and solutions could be proposed to the relevant stakeholders. After all, it is easier to solve a problem when we are aware of the relationships that exist in the current matrix.
Written by Eira
Edited by Varun
![MYD 2018 Retreat Reflection – Chen Hui Ling]()
by admin | Jul 1, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD2018
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018. New members were asked to reflect the activities they took part in, what they learned along the way, and what they took away from the experience. Here’s what our new members had to say:
Chen Hui Ling
By Chen Hui Ling
The first time that I heard about MYD was from a talk delivered by Adrian prior to COP 23. However, doubting my capabilities and thoughts of having to juggle between academics, commitments in clubs and attending MYD have put off my desire of wanting to be part of an NGO, let alone being a youth delegate.
This time around, I have gathered enough information from my coursemate, Azam, who was a delegate for COP23. Along with the encouragement from a few others, I made the decision to join MYD. Another decision that I had to make was whether or not to attend the retreat, which was set on the most crucial time period, the assignment deadlines and study week. Regardless, I attended the retreat and did not regret one bit.
Throughout this entire retreat, I have learnt that I knew almost nothing. The way the world works is just so different than I had thought it would be. My favourite part of the retreat would definitely be the history lesson, if not the toilet agreement, where we were fed information about the birth of the UNFCCC, the well-known Paris Agreement and lots of other agreements that I never knew of.
This retreat have taught me valuable skills, and in particular, negotiating with people. Through the negotiation of annex and non-annex one in the ‘toilet agreement’, I have come to realise that we as humans often forget to think from others perspective, to stand in someone’s shoes when making decisions. I have also learnt that being with the right people helps in building my confidence and pushing me towards my goal. I have been inspired by so many people, and I can’t wait to be inspired more.
Overall, I have enjoyed myself and have learnt a lot throughout this retreat. Malaysian youths like myself don’t really get exposed to issues regarding climate change, and more often than not, people don’t realise the urgency of climate change. Being together with a group of like-minded people have shown me how making a change is possible, and how we can all strive together in making a difference.
![MYD 2018 Retreat Reflection – Lim Fang Hui]()
by admin | Jul 1, 2018 | #MYD, Blog, MYD2018
Lim Fang Hui
The Malaysian Youth Delegation hosted the annual Retreat at EPIC Collective over the weekend of the 28th and 29th April 2018. New members were asked to reflect the activities they took part in, what they learned along the way, and what they took away from the experience. Here’s what our new members had to say:
As a person coming from a legal background, climate change is of a brand new area for me. During the session by Adrian Yeo on the history of UNFCCC, the session was not dull at all as he presented it with jokes and made us understand things easily. I learnt the term ‘protocol’ which refers to the mechanism (i.e. how to do it) and other terms such as global north which refers to developing countries. With reference to the Paris Agreement, I was made to understand that 197 countries signed the agreement, with only 175 countries ratifying it.
In the session by Ms Shakila on climate policies, I was made to understand yet another bunch of new terms. For instance, terms like geothermal and biofuel, which are new terms introduced to me. Thereafter, we were given a task to build a house which was to be weather resistant. We were given approximately 40 minutes to complete a house with newspaper and tape as the only materials given to us. Each of my group members discussed on methods to design a house within such a short period of time. We came up with an idea to roll the paper to make it strong for the house. What amazed me was that my group members worked really hard together and executed ideas on how to complete the house.
Right before dinner, we were asked to play a game in which we arranged the sequence of a set of climate change related logos. There were many logos which I had never heard of such as TWN, KETTHA and CETDEM – just to name a few.
The first day of the retreat ended with a screening of the movie “Before the Flood” starring Leonardo DiCaprio which was an eye opening experience for myself as I learnt that our diet as a human being can affect climate change through the consumption of beef. I personally think that everyone should watch this documentary to understand, care more and acknowledge the fact that we should do something to improve climate change.
On the second day, a few of the previous Malaysian Youth Delegation members shared their knowledge on the COP that they attended, which really inspired me to join the upcoming COP 24 in Poland. Phoenix pointed out that the Malaysian Youth Delegation journey is equally important if you cannot make it to attend COP. I truly understand that there is a lot of work needed to be done before attending this conference. Otherwise, efforts to attend COP would be futile. I could see so many capable youngsters within the Malaysian Youth Delegation who embody their achievements, which really amazed me.
Last but not least, the assignment on the ‘toilet agreement’ was where we were asked to create an agreement based on the scenario given, which proved to be quite challenging to myself. As my group members had to be split into two parties, we had to come to an agreement on the matter at hand. Negotiations skills are important in life to ensure that both parties come to an agreement. During the assignment we were “enemies”, but after the assignment we became friends again!
In conclusion, this retreat really amazed me with the fact that the younger generation does care about climate change, which is a good sign. From this retreat, I realized that there are many people out there who are better than us, who will then inspire us to be a better person in life as the knowledgeable individuals and amazing people come from different backgrounds. I cannot be thankful enough to be selected, to be part of the Malaysian Youth Delegation in 2018 and am looking forward to working together with all of you.
