BAKU, Nov 17 — The enhanced National Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), encompassing comprehensive measures for managing, preventing and controlling air quality, is expected to be implemented next year.
The Department of Environment's (DOE) deputy director-general (operations) Norhazni Mat Sari said they are finalising the draft plan before presenting it to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad in January.
“This plan will serve as a guide for all stakeholders to play their roles in striving towards blue skies and a healthier environment,” she told Bernama yesterday at the Malaysian Pavilion in conjunction with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Conference of Parties (COP29).
The soon-to-be-implemented CAAP aligns with COP29’s theme of ‘In Solidarity for a Green World’, which stresses political commitment to comprehensively addressing climate change.
Norhazni said the initiative is another proactive step by the government towards sustainable development, reflecting Malaysia’s role as the Asean chair in 2025 in addressing climate change issues and reducing pollution.
In addition, integrated collaboration with Asean and the international community is essential to ensure Malaysia and the region achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 with the support of sustainable investment and green technology to reduce the impact of pollution.
Through the DOE, the government has taken various measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change, which is an urgent global concern for the well-being of the people and the country’s sustainable progress.
One of the DOE’s key initiatives is the enforcement of the Environmental Quality Act 1974, which covers various aspects such as the control of air, water, noise, and waste pollution to improve the quality of the environment.
Meanwhile, she said the prohibition of open burning under Section 29A of the Act aims to prevent local haze, and enforcement efforts have shown the effectiveness of this law, as the number of fines issued has decreased.
At the international level, Malaysia is committed to implementing the Montreal Protocol, which phases out the use of ozone-depleting substances, thereby reducing global warming.
Norhazni said Malaysia is also party to the Basel Convention, which regulates the transboundary movement of scheduled waste to prevent the influx of toxic waste from developed countries into developing nations.
COP29, the largest annual conference on climate change, is underway in Azerbaijan’s capital from November 11 to November 22 and has attracted global attention, with approximately 50,000 government officials, policymakers and investors in attendance.
This year’s COP has been dubbed the ‘Climate Finance COP,’ as the primary goal is to reach an agreement on the annual financing to help developing countries address the cost of combating climate change.
— Bernama
