How MESTECC Address Climate Change Action Without Burdening the Government on Additional Fund

YAB Prime Minister had recently launched the establishment of the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGCC) at the International Green Technology and Eco-Products Exhibition and Conference (IGEM) on October 10, 2019. MGCC is the result of the repurposing of Malaysia Green Technology Corporate (MGTC) which aims to prepare Malaysia moving towards a climate change resilience future and to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Instead of setting up a new agency that will require additional fund from the government, MESTECC has successfully optimized the ministry's internal agency by absorbing the functions of this climate change centre into its existing agency (MGTC).

The move of repurposing existing agency is consistent with Pakatan Harapan’s commitment to keep the civil service lean and to reduce expenditure by optimising delivery.

Was there really no allocation for climate change action in the Budget 2020?

The Malaysia Green Technology and Climate Change Malaysia will be funded through a RM10 million allocation from the saving of MESTECC ministry’s spending in 2019.

In conclusion, it is not no allocation for climate change, but the government is optimising the spending and using the savings to finance the climate change centre. This is the difference between the Pakatan Harapan and the Barisan Nasional.

Meanwhile, the government will also establish National Council of Climate Change Action as promised in the Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto.

In addition to the RM10 million allocation, MESTECC is also actively building capacity to leverage international funds such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and to drive partnerships with private companies in Malaysia and international organizations.

In addition, YB Yeo had witnessed the exchange of a letter of cooperation between Malaysia Green Technology Corporate (now known as MGCC) and the United Kingdom on May 16, 2019.

This is a four-year collaboration programme under the United Kingdom Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions (UKPACT) Cooperation which aims to strengthen, promote and develop climate change and low carbon transition collaboration between two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

This collaboration programme will benefit Malaysia on addressing critical climate change initiatives including the scoping study on a climate change legal and institutional framework, as well as capacity building through sharing of skills. It will also allow Malaysia to study and adapt the UK 2050 Pathway Carbon Calculator to the Malaysian context.

Pang Sock Tao
Special Officer to YB Yeo Bee Yin
Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC)

Yeo Bee Yin witnessed the exchange of letter of cooperation between MGCC and the government representatives from UK in Putrajaya on May 16, 2019.