Copenhagen: Malaysia to offer ‘credible’ carbon cuts
December 16, 2009 by admin
Filed under News Bites
The Malaysian government will offer “credible” cuts in its emissions of carbon dioxide at the Copenhagen Climate Change summit in a bid to halt global warming, according to Reuters.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told Reuters:
We are willing to offer our commitment, I am not just going to call on the developed world; I am going to commit Malaysia and I am going to commit Malaysia to very credible cuts which means, we have to spend, which we will do.
Najib will be among world leaders meeting in Copenhagen to attend the climate change summit, held to persuade rich nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions cuts even more, as well as providing assistance to developing nations to cut their carbon pollution and finance to help the poor adapt to climate change.
According to a new report, UN data shows Malaysia’s carbon emissions in 2006 stood at 187 million tonnes or 7.2 tonnes from each Malaysian. Even though Malaysia’s emission is less than neighbouring Indonesia, the world’s third largest emitter with 2.3 billion tonnes or 10 tonnes per capita, Najib has been reported to have said that all nations must contribute. He was quoted as saying:
We are willing to offer our commitment, I am not just going to call on the developed world I am going to commit Malaysia and I am going to commit Malaysia to very credible cuts which means we have to spend, which we will do.
Amongst which, the most important being the common but differentiated responsibilities that the developed world must deliver against larger cuts in terms of carbon emissions and that the developing world should be assisted, particularly in terms of financial assistance, capacity building and technology.
Najib was reported to have said that despite the current economic situation, the fight against climate change needs to take priority.
The United Nations wants to raise USD10 billion (RM34 billion) a year from 2010-12 to assist the poor deal with global warming and to move away from fossil fuels. In the longer term, the United Nations estimates the fight against global warming is likely to cost USD300 billion a year from 2020, largely to help developing nations adapt to impacts such as droughts, floods and heatwaves.
