WORKING VISIT OF THE HON. MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT OF MALAYSIA TO
PARIS CLIMATE CONFERENCE (COP21)
FROM 6-12 DECEMBER 2015
The Hon. Dato Sri Dr. Hj Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Jaafar, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia, undertook a working visit to Paris in conjunction with the joint high-level segment of the 21st United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference and Paris Climate Conference (COP21) from 6 to 12 December 2015. The Hon. Minister was accompanied by his spouse Datin Sri Feona Sim and senior officials from relevant Ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia.
2. In the national statement delivered on 7 December 2015, the Hon. Minister stated that Malaysia had adopted a voluntary indicator to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHGs) emission industry of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) by up to 40% compared to 2005 intensity levels by 2020, conditional on receiving finance, technology transfer under capacity building from developed countries. This adoption had been approved by YAB Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak in 2009. Efforts will be continued under the 11th Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 under the Green Growth Agenda that calls for strengthening the enabling environment, including policy and regulatory frameworks, human capital and green technology. Malaysia reaffirms its commitment to maintain at least 50% level of forest and tree cover in perpetuity through “zero net deforestation and degradation” thus halting net forest loss by deforestation and stopping net decline in forest quality.
(Full text of the speech is available at http://www.nre.gov.my/ms-my/PustakaMedia/Lists/papar-berita.aspx)
3. During the conference, The Hon. Dato Sri Dr. Hj Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Jaafar had a series of meeting with his counterparts including Mr. Laurent Fabius, French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development and President of COP2; Mr. John F. Kerry, the United States Secretary of State, as well as with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and China.
4. After two weeks of negotiations for the COP21 deal, 196 nations adopted the universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.
5. The Hon. Dato Sri Dr. Hj Wan Junaidi bin Tuanku Jaafar also took the opportunity to meet with Malaysia diaspora and students at a dinner hosted by him and wife on 10 December 2015. Malaysians were also thrilled with the presence of YAB Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia and wife Tun Jeanne Abdullah as guests of honour at the dinner.
