Malaysia hosted an event Driving Climate Ambition: Showcasing Asean Leadership through the Development of the New Cycle of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) where Asean representatives discussed their progress, challenges, and innovative approaches in preparing their updated NDCs as Asean Member States (AMS) are intensifying their climate leadership with ambitious updates to their NDCs, aiming for greater climate action in line with the global 1.5°C target
As part of their commitment under the Paris Agreement, all parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must submit updated NDCs by February 2025.
Asean Member States are on track to meet this deadline, with Indonesia even aiming to become an early submitter as part of the Troika initiative, a collaborative effort between COP28 and the following two presidencies.
At the event, representatives from Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Singapore shared insights into their countries’ progress and the evolving challenges in fulfilling the global climate goals.
Malaysia’s path toward net zero by 2050
Dr. Hartini binti Mohd Nair, Undersecretary of the Climate Change Division in Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, presented an update on Malaysia’s third NDC.
The country’s approach builds on the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), which sets the target of net zero by 2050. Malaysia has already undertaken extensive studies to understand the year it can realistically achieve net-zero emissions while balancing economic growth.
Brunei’s bold climate strategies
Ir. Ahmad Zaeimaddien, Brunei’s Climate Change Expert, outlined Brunei Darussalam’s second NDC, highlighting its ambitious target to reduce emissions by 20 per cent by 2030 compared to 2015 levels.
While Brunei’s small population and non-OECD status present unique challenges, the country is focusing on technological solutions and robust international cooperation to meet its net-zero goal by 2050. “The key challenge for us is financing,” he noted, stressing the importance of leveraging global partnerships for effective climate action.
Singapore’s sector-focused approach to mitigation
Cheah Sin Liang, Deputy Director at Singapore’s National Climate Change Secretariat, shared Singapore’s focus on energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.
As the power sector is the largest emitter in Singapore, the country’s second NDC places strong emphasis on accelerating decarbonisation within the energy industry through international collaboration and cutting-edge technology. “International cooperation is critical for driving real change in mitigation,” said Cheah.
Indonesia’s transformative NDC
Ir. Lakshmi Dherwathi, Director General of Climate Change at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, outlined the country’s preparations for its second NDC, marking a transformative shift in approach.
Unlike the first NDC, which used a business-as-usual baseline, the second NDC will use 2019 as the reference year. Indonesia is adding new greenhouse gases, sectors, and emission ceilings, along with more precise climate modeling based on the IPCC 5th Assessment Report. By 2030, all sectors in Indonesia will reach their peak emissions, with the exception of energy, which will peak by 2035.
Overcoming shared challenges
Across Asean, countries are facing common challenges in preparing their second NDCs, such as data management, capacity building, and methodology development.
Effective consultation processes are underway to engage both governmental and non-state stakeholders, ensuring that the new NDCs reflect comprehensive, ambitious, and context-specific strategies. Despite these hurdles, Asean countries remain committed to raising their NDC ambition and advancing their climate goals through innovative, tailored approaches.
Asean’s unwavering commitment to the Paris Agreement was evident throughout the event, with countries working to balance the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities while recognising their diverse capacities and development contexts.
The event is supported by German Government under the initiative of Asean EU-German Climate Programme (CAP), a project supported by German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by European Union (EU), and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with Asean Secretariat and AWGCC. The event can be rewatched here: http://facebook.com/MalaysiaPavilionUNFCCC.
About Asean EU-German Climate Action Programme (CAP)
Asean EU-German Climate Action Programme (CAP) is a project supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-funded by European Union (EU), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close coordination with Asean Secretariat to promote political dialogue and capacity development for climate change mitigation (GHG reduction) and adaptation within Asean, thereby strengthening the organisation as a climate policy player as well as cooperation among AMS. The project aims to have cooperation within Asean for implementing ambitious climate policies improved.
Publish your content with EB Publishing
It's about who you reach. Get your news, events, jobs and thought leadership seen by those who matter to you.
