Malaysia’s drivenness for the Project and resolve to promote low carbon urban development is reflected in its policies and relating to green technology, low carbon development and climate change. The Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) is the country’s comprehensive blueprint and sets forth the country’s overarching strategy for low carbon development and sustainable urban development. The National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC) and National Green Technology Policy (NGTP) subsequently establish the basis for the low carbon development. The Project directly addresses the main objectives of these key policies and seeks to strengthen the capacity for implementation through the planning and development systems.
Besides that, Malaysia also has set an ambitious emission reduction target of up to 40% of emission intensity of GDP from the 2005 level by 2020. The Project directly supports Malaysia, in line with national policy and frameworks in meeting this voluntary GHG emission reduction target. Importantly, the project is consistent with local development priorities and coordinates with sector initiatives.
The 11th Malaysia plan specifies green growth as the one of the six strategic thrusts and also one of the six game changers. It is anticipated that Malaysia’s green growth strategy will lead to better quality of growth, strengthened food, water and energy security, lower environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and ultimately better wellbeing and quality of life. It will mean significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and improved conservation of terrestrial and inland water, as well as coastal and marine areas including its ecosystems. Achieving these aspirations requires a fundamental shift away from a ‘grow first, clean up later’ development model towards one that views resilient, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive development as an upfront investment that will yield future gains over multiple generations to come. This requires fundamental changes across every major dimension including policy formulation, institutional strengthening, governance structure, and including continued awareness and education programme.