NRES Strengthens National Climate Action Commitment Through ASEAN-Korea Methane Mitigation Project

PUTRAJAYA, July 31 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) has strengthened Malaysia’s commitment to climate action through the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Methane Mitigation (AKCMM), worth US$20 million, funded by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).

NRES said that the regional project was being implemented in nine ASEAN member states from 2024 to 2027, including Malaysia.

According to NRES, the strategic partnership is carried out in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), which acts as the implementing partner for the project under the Partnership for ASEAN-ROK Methane Action (PARMA), announced during the ASEAN-South Korea Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 2023.

“This strategic initiative highlights NRES’s key role in advancing the national environmental agenda and supporting ASEAN’s aspiration towards a climate-resilient community,” the ministry said in a statement today.

NRES said this commitment was continued through Malaysia’s participation with more than 150 countries in signing the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

According to the statement, the pledge outlines Malaysia’s commitment to collectively reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030.

“To that end, NRES will work closely with industry players to develop a national methane reduction framework and action plan by the end of this project,” it added.

Meanwhile, NRES welcomed the potential for environmental cooperation between ASEAN and the United States (US) as well as China.

According to the ministry, Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening strategic regional cooperation in addressing environmental and climate change challenges through the 4th ASEAN-United States High-Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change and the 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials Meeting on the Environment.

“Malaysia believes that partnerships with countries such as the US and China will enable the sharing of best practices, technology transfer and technical expertise to support sustainable development efforts in the region,” the statement said.

The launch ceremony for the AKCMM project was officiated today by NRES deputy secretary-general (environmental sustainability) Datuk Nor Yahati Awang in conjunction with the 36th ASEAN Senior Officials on the Environment (ASOEN) Meeting in Langkawi.

-- BERNAMA