Carbon capture bill: Climate change activists rally at Parliament

Summary

• A group of pro-environment activists holds rally near Parliament urging Dewan Negara members to reject the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Bill.

• The group called the Climate Emergency Coalition of Malaysia believes the bill prioritises economic interests over safety and would be harmful to the environment.

• They say the country risks becoming a global dumping ground without proper safeguards.

A coalition of pro-environment groups this morning staged a rally in front of the Parliament to protest the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Bill, which is slated to be debated in the Dewan Negara soon.

The group, who called themselves the Climate Emergency Coalition of Malaysia, urged members of the Senate to reject the bill and return it to the Dewan Rakyat for revision.

In a statement, they claimed the bill was rushed through the Dewan Rakyat without adequate public consultation and scrutiny despite several MPs having raised concerns over the proposed law.

The coalition believed the current version of the CCUS bill prioritises economic interests over safety and would pose harm to the country's environment.

It said the bill is often promoted with grand claims, yet real-world applications rarely meet these expectations.

"Without adequate safeguards, Malaysia risks becoming a global carbon dumping ground.

"We are of the opinion that carbon capture is a false climate solution that only seeks to prolong the lifeline of the fossil fuel industry. It is expensive, ineffective, energy-intensive and could potentially increase carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions instead of decreasing them.

"CCUS projects also pose serious threats to public safety and environmental integrity, which could result in severe implications for the people and environment," said the coalition, which is supported by 19 civil society organisations.

Recommendations

They made several recommendations on how to improve the bill, including demanding the establishment of an independent oversight and advisory body that includes civil society organisations.

This, the group said, was to "ensure transparency, accountability and rigorous public scrutiny of carbon capture technologies.”

They also demand for the bill to outline "extensive and robust safeguards", and that there must be a thorough public consultation when revising the bill.

According to the coalition’s media liaison Eqram Mustaqeem, the group has also submitted their protest memorandum to the Senate through Senator Hasbie Muda.

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