GENERALLY, a carbon reduction program focuses only on the global warming potential as a measure. Such a program, which is part of a global campaign to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or a little later, only aims to solve the problem of climate change.

When the 2022 budget was tabled last month, it was announced that Malaysia would allow the creation of a voluntary carbon market.

The question is: why exchange a criterion or an achievement of a place, a forest or a part of a country? If two private companies want to do this, it’s their own arrangement. The investments, allowances and taxpayer dollars invested in our governance and operating systems should be used for the benefit of our country, its people and the businesses that are ready to operate here.

Suppose an operational system regulated by the government and connected to the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. This operational system invests in more environmentally friendly initiatives through a government approved bidding system. The cost of the operating system is aggregated and a rate is approved by the government. Thus, it is imperative that the environmental benefit be shared among all its users.

Now, why would the government impose a “levy” and allow some richer companies to take this environmental benefit away from others?

Historically, people were traded against their will and it was considered a business in itself. After more than a century, it is considered a heinous act. How will the world view the companies that use money to “steal” a nation’s environmental benefits over the next several decades?

Industries that consume a lot of resources in their operations will find it difficult to reduce environmental risks. Thus, the government must develop an appropriate plan to help the water, energy and resource intensive industries (Werii) to be more environmentally friendly and the reduction achievements will be absorbed into the goods and services involved. in their downstream supply chain. If we improve Werii’s inputs and operations, the entire supply chain will benefit and this is part of the improvements that will be recorded as a national achievement. This is a better pragmatic approach to inept and risky “institutionalized” processes that quadruplicate the capacity of our forests to sequester carbon compared to similar forest types in neighboring countries.

In view of this, the government must identify and categorize the sectors that fall under Werii and their intensity of impact on the nation. This is followed by the preparation and development of appropriate bridging solutions as well as the significant upgrade and development of infrastructure to achieve the net zero goals. The use of appropriate and globally recognized scientific data and data is vital. Such a targeted approach will make a real game-changer for Werii’s sectors to remain competitive and respectful of the environment.

The government must stop using world famous cosmetic solutions like the carbon market and carbon pricing for environmental reduction, even if they are propagated by the big economies. The main problem here is not to create a level playing field that would become a profit tool for a few. As a country, we must address the issues of intermittent transition and zero net solutions while swimming through a “bottleneck” resource supply situation induced by the global net zero movement.

“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers”. – Plato

This article was written by Piarapakaran S, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (Awer), a non-governmental organization involved in research and development in the fields of water, energy and water. ‘environment.