LETTER: A recent land temperature study published by Think City said five cities in Malaysia reported higher surface temperatures, with Johor recording a peak increase of 6.70°C between May 2005 and May 2018 in comparison with other cities.
Areas with significant temperature rise were around industrial and
developing areas, such as Skudai, Johor Baru, Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang, Iskandar Puteri (Nusajaya), Bandar Dato' Onn and Tanjong Langsat.
It is the rate and magnitude of climate change occurring now in Johor that raises concern. The increase indicates that there is a spike in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that can lead to serious consequences.
To understand the situation better, the temperature in Johor fluctuates between 30°C to 32°C. April is the warmest month, with an average high temperature of 32.8°C. If it reaches 35°C to 37°C for three days straight, an official alert will be put out.
Category 2 (heatwave level) is when the temperature remains more than 37°C for three days straight, while Category 3 (emergency level) is when it exceeds 40°C. Globally, the ambition is to keep the increase below 1.5°C, deemed to be a safe threshold for warming.
The climate crisis, however, does not start at this threshold. It is already here. In Johor, the impact of rising temperatures is evident in lost livelihoods and homes and loss of millions of ringgit spent on emergency services, cloud seeding exercises and disaster relief, as well as causing thousands of people to fall ill from pollution.
Those in poverty have a higher chance of experiencing the ill effects of climate change due to increased exposure and vulnerability. A 2020 World Bank paper estimated that 32 to 132 million additional people will be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 due to climate change, amplifying the existing divide between those who have resources and those who do not.
The question is how to act with urgency. The overwhelming science and research on climate change are why 148 countries joined the 2015 Paris Agreement. Malaysia, too, agreed to strengthen efforts to keep the global temperature rise below 2°C.
In Johor, companies have for the most part freely emitted carbon. This attitude has to change. Companies that persist in treating climate change solely as a corporate social responsibility issue rather than a business problem will risk losing investors and this will affect stakeholder demands.
Companies must commit to fighting climate change and align their business strategies with better environment, social and governance consciousness. Sustainability ambitions are for all sizes of business.
The good news is that there are rewards for those who make a change. Banks are providing Sustainable Linked Loans and other sustainable financial solutions to borrowers with sustainability ambitions. Sustainable investors are also on the rise and many large corporations are now guiding their supply chain to adapt sustainable practices.
Singapore has a reputation for planning ahead. When it comes to climate change, it's planning for the worst, devising a S$100 billion plan to safeguard the city against rising temperatures and floodwaters.
Being a close trade partner, Johor companies that adapt sustainable practices will be in a better position to cater to the potential sustainable trade opportunities with its neighbour. Similar to Covid-19, no person, whether rich or poor, will be immune from the impacts of climate change.
The need to demand for sustainable actions in everything is upon us. Sustainable food, policies, businesses, healthcare, education, cities and, more importantly, a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren.
EDEY SURESH
Johor state director, United Nations Global Compact Network
Malaysia & Brunei
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times