Recently, the federal government submitted the Biennial Update Report 3 (BUR-3) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The report revealed that Malaysia’s net carbon emissions is about 23% after carbon sequestration by our tropical rainforests. This means that the amount of carbon we produce per year is 23% more than the amount that is captured by our forests annually.

Carbon neutrality is when the amount of carbon emissions from human activities released into the atmosphere is equivalent to the amount of carbon sucked out from the atmosphere by natural forests.

Interestingly, Malaysia was not a permanent net carbon emitter until 2004. Malaysia could attain carbon neutrality by protecting existing forest areas and reducing overall carbon emissions.

Malaysia is one of the 57 countries that produces about 90% of greenhouse gases that are causing the climate crisis. We should aim for the carbon neutrality instead of fiddling around carbon intensity measurements.

SHARAN RAJ
Central Committee
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
&
State Secretary
Parti Sosialis Malaysia Negeri Melaka (PSM Melaka)