Call for collective Asean voice at UN climate conferences

Asean is set to be the world’s fifth-largest economy, yet nations in the region are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

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Given this, Asean should play a more active role at the UN climate negotiations by forming an official negotiating bloc to better represent its collective interests, Malaysia’s secretary-general for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability said on Nov 18.

Speaking to The Straits Times at the Malaysia Pavilion in Brazil’s Belem city, where UN climate conference COP30 is being held, Datuk Ching Thoo Kim said climate change will affect the region’s economy, which was the world’s fifth largest, at US$4.1 trillion (S$5.4 trillion), in 2024.

He added: “Floods, droughts, haze issues. These incidents affect our economies.”

He also suggested that Singapore take the lead in pursuing the idea of a bloc that represents the region’s interests at the annual forums, saying: “We very much hope that Singapore could pursue this idea of having that bloc formed for the next COP.”

Dr Ching Thoo said Malaysia had been advocating for such a group as the previous chair of the Asean Working Group on Climate Change, which Singapore now chairs.