Malaysia needs green new deal, say experts
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs an overarching green policy framework that cuts across ministries, sectors and industries to address the existing unsustainable practices that are threatening the planet and human health on an unprecedented scale.
Environmental experts believe this is crucial to tackling the country’s biggest problems, namely water pollution and the lack of ecological services, which emerged due to weak policies on nature conservation, industrial and domestic pollution, and unsustainable use of natural resources.
Water pollution was listed as one of the top 10 environmental health concerns in the Health Ministry’s recent National Environmental Health Action Plan, besides children’s environmental health, built environment and climate change.
Ecological services include purification of air and water, biodiversity maintenance, waste decomposition, soil and vegetation generation and renewal, and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Experts have called for a holistic plan either in the form of an umbrella policy or a Green New Deal, like the initiative made popular by United States congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to efficiently and effectively address environmental health issues.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY POLICY FRAMEWORK
The Academy of Professors Malaysia’s Environment and Sustainability Cluster is drafting a White Paper to the government on the umbrella policy, dubbed the Environment Development and Sustainability Policy Framework.
Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo, the cluster’s chair, said the policy would spell out important principles for sustainability, covering environmental pollution, ecological services, natural heritage conservation, sustainable agriculture, mining, land development, and environment-based Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The policy enables some common objectives to be introduced, especially cross-cutting policies on ecological services, unsustainable guidelines or procedures, and subsequently help achieve Malaysia’s SDGs.
“We are still at the data-gathering stage and debating the right framework for the policy, so it is difficult to give examples.
“Covid-19 has delayed our plans to meet the environment and water minister and energy and natural resources minister. I hope next year will be a better year,” said the principal fellow at the Institute for Environment and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Ibrahim said many stakeholders failed to look at the relationship between humans and nature in dealing with environmental issues and sustainable development as most policies were sectoral.
Malaysia’s policies that impact the environment, he said, could be divided into three categories — environmental quality, resources conservation and utilisation, and land use planning.
“The first focuses on pollution control and environment protection or conservation, and comes under the Environment and Water Ministry’s purview, while the second focuses on tackling exploitative mindsets, with some conservation framework, and is under the Natural Resources Ministry.
“Land use planning covers town and country planning, agriculture and resources-based industries that focuses more on industrial, economy and land development.
“The policymakers and implementers are not talking to each other about environmental sustainability,” said the earth science scholar specialising in engineering geology, conservation geology and sustainability science.
He said the umbrella policy would tie policies together, striking a balance across the social, economic and environmental pillars.
It would also plug the gap between development requirements and environmental sustainability.
“(It) will lay out clear goals aimed at conserving the environment and managing natural resources, while supporting sustainable development and economic growth which are seen as essential to becoming a developed nation.”
Ibrahim said any initiative on climate and environmental policymaking should be based on the country’s environment and development status.
“Nature conservation is the top priority, such as how we care for our built landscape, like agricultural land and urban and industrial areas.
“How good are we at handling issues related to natural resources utilisation or exploitation, such as unsustainable logging, quarrying and mining? Are our policies on resource utilisation and addressing river pollution appropriate?
“We have major issues in these aspects that need urgent rectification. But many states (their policies) are weak on this.”
DIALOGUE ON GREEN NEW DEAL
Academy of Sciences Malaysia senior fellow Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid said it was incumbent on political leaders, policymakers, the private sector and civil society to start a dialogue on a Green New Deal.
He said this was essential to assess and scrutinise what had been learnt from other countries and to develop a national strategic plan on the Green New Deal.
Notable Green New Deals have been produced by the US, the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and the Global Green New Deal commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme.
The aim of a Green New Deal is to tackle the “triple crunch” of climate change, economic and financial crisis and energy insecurity and price instability.
It comprises high-level goals with dozens of policies at different levels of government, bringing them under one roof with a simple idea — to create unprecedented mobilisation of resources for a net-zero future, while generating new jobs and lifting living standards.
Zakri said a Green New Deal is at the heart of sustainable development, which was introduced in the 1987 Brundtland Report and described as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
“That was also when the three pillars of sustainable development were enunciated, namely economic development, social development and environmental protection for future generations.
“The only addition today would be a greater emphasis on renewables such as solar and wind technologies, energy efficiency, electric vehicles, public transportation and smart grids.
“Many of its elements, such as going for renewables, are already being pursued actively for several years now by our country.”
He said the key components of Malaysia’s Green New Deal should mirror the SDGs, for example, adequate healthcare, affordable and adequate housing, economic security, enough and healthy food, and vibrant nature.
Underpinning these, he said, should be a weaning of the country’s dependence on fossil fuel and an emphasis on renewable energy and a healthy respect for nature.
He stressed if policies were well-formulated and judiciously implemented, a Green New Deal would mitigate Malaysia’s environmental woes and sustainability issues.
“The United Nations Environment Programme has revealed that 60 per cent of natural resources that provide food, water, energy and clean air have been seriously degraded.
“It says that every year, the felling of forests deprives the world of more than US$2.5 trillion worth of such services in supplying water, generating rainfall, stopping soil erosion, cleaning the air and reducing global heating.
“We are pushing past the limits of what the planet can sustain. The United Nations Environment Programme says the new, green economy will provide a new engine of growth, putting the world on the road to recovery.
“It is very important for us to take a holistic approach as recommended by the Green New Deal. One idea is to consider how we deal with everyday materials we use for our needs, maximising their use and minimising waste, which often ends up in landfills.”
DISTURBING QUESTIONS
Water quality and modelling expert Dr Zaki Zainudin said environmental sustainability concepts like the Green New Deal required a paradigm shift in many areas.
“It is a departure from the conventional ways. But in the post-lockdown era, I wonder whether such concepts will be given priority over economic recovery.
“Movement restrictions have battered economies globally. Governments have to deal with unprecedented (low) employment numbers and businesses closing down. Their focus now perhaps is on economic recovery.
“However, while doing so, will environmental sustainability concepts take a back seat (again)?
“Pollution control requires investment/capital in certain devices. Will deployment policies/regulations on such devices be relaxed to prioritise economic recovery?
“These are disturbing questions, but they must be asked.”
Source: NST
