Barriers and drivers of climate change mitigation governance in developing countries

• Main Author: Mustafa, Maizatun
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: K Law (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/73357/19/73357%20schedule.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/73357/3/Dr.%20Maizatun%20presentation%20for%20ASLI%202019%202%20PDF.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/73357/

Mitigation to climate change is given increasing international attention due to the concern of higher carbon emission projections globally. One contentious climate change issue being debated is pertaining to carbon reduction obligations of the developing countries. Previously, international conventions set binding targets only on the developed nations to reduce their emissions. However, with the new international commitment being ratified through the Paris Agreement, the focus is turning to the developing countries which are currently dominating global carbon emissions. On the part of Malaysia as a developing nation, commitment towards the Paris Agreement necessitates actions taken to balance national challenges with the urgent need for climate change mitigation measures under limited domestic capacity. This paper seeks to understand Malaysia’s trends in adoption of climate legislation and strategies, and identify possible barriers to and opportunities for advancing effort at the national level. Taking into consideration existing heavy reliance on unsustainable practices and non-renewable energy sources to generate growth, this paper examines the way in which Malaysia is mitigating climate change which possess fundamentally different challenges as compared to that of developed nations. This paper seeks to demonstrate that efforts undertaken by Malaysia are motivated by drivers of economic development, energy security, and environmental protection which are common among developing countries. It is contended that in order to pursue the climate change target, it is vital that policy directive and strategies within the law are geared at exploiting the nexus between emission reduction and development priorities so that growth in the developing world is consistent with climate change objectives in the foreseeable future.