The Malaysian government is planning to do a scoping review on the need for climate change legislation to assist in protecting the environment in the near future. Environment and Water Ministry secretary general Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang said the ministry wants the draft to include private sector reporting and economic instruments. “Soon, we are probably drafting a new Climate Change Act depending on the understanding of policymakers and demand of the people or using existing laws such as the Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974 together with it. We might also think of putting carbon tax for the future investment related to sustainability,” he said during a webinar during the “CIMB Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit 2020”, organised by CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. Zaini said the ministry is currently revising the EQA 1974 to include matters relating to climate change and sustainability, while it also has the greenhouse gases management and reporting to be mandated. He noted that the ministry aims for a low carbon society, while enhancing green production and consumption, and using fewer resources such as water, plastic and electricity, among others, to ensure sustainability.

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The Malaysian Reserve