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Climate changes but no changes in M'sian strategy

Malaysian consumer organisations from Fomca participated in the Climate Sustainability Platform which was organised as run up to the Conference of Parties 15 or COP 15 which is ongoing in Copenhagen, Denmark now.

One of the experts in the Climate Sustainability Platform is from the Maldives. This is one country that people - and most importantly leaders - in Malaysia should seek inspiration from. The Maldives (its people and its leaders) has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2020.

This through a combination of renewable energy, proper waste management and investment in adaptation technologies namely protection against rising sea levels. We need to take our hats off to them.

In a dialogue, their representative challenged other countries with access to better technology and funds to do the same. This puts countries like Malaysia to shame. Where we are in this whole climate change mitigation and adaptation activities?

During one of the dialogues, an official from the Malmo municipality of Sweden showed how the city has put in place a framework and implemented the framework for the city to be climate neutral by 2030.

The whole municipality will run on 100% renewable energy. Now here is an example from a developed country! It seems that we can no longer look towards policymakers who attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings year after year for any ounce of leadership, guidance or inspiration.

People at national levels must move or drive them to develop policies and implement them to realise sustainable development goals. Someone said ‘when people lead, leaders follow’. In Malaysia, we saw people rise to the occasion two years ago and also in March this year for the Earth Hour.

We believe noble campaigns and calls such as the National Consumer Campaign which moves at full throttle will provide the impetus to make Malaysians rise to the occasion at a time when the country and the planet needs it most which is now. We need to act now and change before the climate really changes for the worst.

When we talk about mitigating or adapting to climate change, few things need to happen. We need the technological prowess, research and development and the skills and competency to do so. Every year the budget pushes for more FDI.

Where are the allocations for mitigation and adaptation targeted for the elements mentioned above? We have pockets of clean technology development and research into more environment friendly products for the consumer market.

But as we noted quite strongly at a recent Energy Seminar at Matrade, there is no local capability to endorse such products as green or that green technologies are used. Some of them were asked to get it endorsed outside Malaysia but this will result it in being patented overseas.

Let's look at our local media for any indication of the people’s or the government’s emphasis on what matters. How much media coverage has there been for environmental and socio-economic issues? Have they made it to the front page?

With a lack of competence, awareness and the sense of urgency on environmental and socio- economic problems and in the absence of concrete climate change strategies and frameworks and an action plan, what is the use of Malaysian government officials making this trip to Copenhagen COP 15 anyways?

Who or what will they represent? Can we see any changes (that we have not seen for the past 20 years) in the ways we produce and consume in Malaysia after COP 15? This will only happen if we, as one entity, move this interest forward for the sake of sustainable development and for the future of the children we have brought into this world or will bring into this world.

We must remember what Einstein said: ‘We can't solve the problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them’.

The writer is deputy secretary-general, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) from Copenhagen COP 15.

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