LETTER: Based on the 5th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, global carbon emissions are estimated at around 36 billion tonnes per year and are projected to increase gradually in all countries, even at the end of the pandemic.
Statistics have shown that China is the world's largest CO2 emitter, accounting for more than one-quarter of emissions, followed by the United States (15 per cent), Europe (10 per cent), India (seven per cent) and Russia (five per cent).
Based on the Climate Analytics report, Southeast Asia is among the most vulnerable regions in the world, with large and growing populations exposed to high and extreme climatic risks due to rapid growth in carbon emissions.
Thus, action must be taken now to reduce emissions. Strong cooperation between countries is needed to avoid long-term economic risks as well. Southeast Asia needs to decarbonise its energy systems by 2050, primarily by rapidly increasing the use of renewable energy and decarbonising end-use sectors as well as large reductions in demand across all end-use sectors.
If Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand implement the targets set in the 2015 Paris Agreement for the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), they will experience significant emission reductions after 2030.
The World Resources Institute defines INDC as the new international agreement based on the international climate agreement at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in December 2015.
The Paris Agreement has three main thrusts to keep the rise in global average temperature well below 2°C, to undertake measures to restrict the rise to 1.5°C and to reach net-zero emissions in the latter half of this century.
The carbon emissions reduction strategies are also in line with the 13th thrust of Sustainable Development Goals aimed at taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.
In Malaysia, the low-carbon attempt made by several Malaysian cities should be enhanced and be put back on track once the domestic economy is restored post Covid-19 to reduce the impact of "unseen" damage to our mother earth.
But how can the effort be achieved? An effective policy framework to mitigate emissions growth should include the major current and future emitters in the world to be effective, and it must limit global emissions to a level compatible with climate stabilisation.
Next, emission growth drivers and associated emission trajectories should be described, technical options should be identified for emission reduction and research should be carried out on the options for identifying economic and emissions impacts.
This is why the Climate Analytics report suggested global economy-energy-environment models to evaluate policy mechanisms to promote improvements in economic systems, enable specific industries to adopt low-emission resources and activities, and also to reduce the economic costs of decarbonisation policies.
For Malaysia, the 2020 goal for Malaysia is up to a 40 per cent C02eq per unit of gross domestic product from 2005 levels and if we look at the scenario of business as usual emissions growth path to 2020, the target does not imply a substantial reduction in emissions. Hence, there should be an immediate call for effective emission reduction strategies and mitigation policies.
FARHAN KAMARULZAMAN
EMIR RESEARCH
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times