FCDO Minister for the Pacific and International Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith, has today (7 June), signed a new Partnership with the Malaysian Environment and Water Minister, Dato Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, to strengthen co-operation on climate action.
The 'UK-Malaysia Climate Partnership' will see both countries work together to step up action on climate and biodiversity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by sharing knowledge and technical expertise to build capacity and increase ambition.
The Partnership covers five main areas: collaboration on climate and biodiversity issues, knowledge sharing, promoting scientific and technical collaboration, supporting private sector involvement, and promoting outreach activities.
The Partnership will further deepen ties between the UK and Malaysia following the agreement of a new bilateral Strategic Partnership in November 2021.
Minister for the Pacific and the International Environment, Lord Zac Goldsmith, said:
Action to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss requires commitment and collaboration. The UK-Malaysia Climate Partnership marks an important step in building on the progress made at COP26, and will further deepen the strong ties and knowledge-sharing between our countries to address this global challenge.
Malaysia has taken significant action on clean growth, sustainable urbanisation, green finance, forest and biodiversity protection, supply chains and carbon markets, and by continuing to share our experiences and expertise we can work together to limit carbon emissions and protect precious natural ecosystems.
At COP26, hosted by the UK in Glasgow last year, Malaysia, which has around 54% forest cover and is home to some of the oldest and most biodiverse forests in the world, committed to the Global Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use, and the Global Methane Pledge, as well as the FACT Dialogue Roadmap for Action, and the Global Action Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture (ClimateShot).
The UK is delivering several projects in Malaysia which are contributing in practical ways including strengthening nature-based solutions in the forested state of Terengganu, supporting low-carbon city planning in Iskandar, promoting sustainable urbanisation in Kuala Lumpur, renewable energy generation in off-grid villages in Sabah, and mobilising green finance by working with Malaysian financial institutions including the Central Bank (Bank Negara Malaysia).
At COP26, the UK also announced new support to Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia. The £110 million ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility will support new sustainable infrastructure projects and the £274 million fund, under the UK Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme, will strengthen climate adaptation across the Indo-Pacific.
