Fairness in Climate Action: Malaysia's call for just transition at COP28

DUBAI – After gruelling two-week negotiations at COP28 in Dubai, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stresses that Malaysia’s focus is on the global stocktake and the conversations surrounding the phasing out of fossil fuel.

He said the government remains supportive of the phasedown but calls for a gradual slowdown for developing countries like Malaysia.

“We don’t want to be held to the same standards as the developed countries because developed countries suddenly have exceptions for themselves and I think that is unfair,” he told Sinar Daily when met at the summit.

He reiterated that Malaysia continues to acknowledge climate change and would like to contribute to the bigger picture and it should be done in a just manner.

“We want fairness to be achieved," he said.

Nik Nazmi said a key issue still surrounds the conversations of finance and while pledges were made on the first day of COP28 in Dubai, by now the funds should reached USD trillion since the pledges were announced in 2015, but countries are only seeing a USD 80 billion pledge to the Lost and Damage fund.

According to the fund distribution of countries in need especially those facing the impacts of climate change, he said we have to look at not only Malaysia but at countries that are defined as Least Developed and Small Island Developing States but also countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh who will benefit the most from the funds.

“We can still debate if Malaysia is qualified for the funds with our status as a high middle income but there should be other countries that will be able to benefit from that and it cannot be the World Bank alone because there will be a lot of geopolitical element,” he said, explaining the dominance of the United States when it comes to decisions made by the World Bank.

“I have spoken to diplomats from Europe and even in Malaysia and they were positive with conversations that European Investment Bank, Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank and African counterparts should also have a say in the money,” Nik said.

He emphasises that access and qualification of the Lost and Damage Funds remains a key conversation and it should not be confused with a group of small islands.

Nik Nazmi said the global stocktake was also an important element of negotiation that has been a key interest of the government as they oversee the next steps that are required to fulfil the pledges and targets that have been rolled out during the Paris Agreement.

The minister said the government wants to ensure that any decisions made and implemented on fossil fuel were done fairly, and justly particularly in developing countries.

"You cannot have countries benefiting from fossil fuels including ours to come back and tell us you cannot do this and that,” he said, adding that you cannot put everyone on the same boat.

The federal minister, who has been a part of the negotiations at the summit since the opening on Nov 30 said many parts of the world still do not have basic needs like power, and water whereas in the developing world, they have exceeded the ecological boundaries.