‘Climate treaty can work despite US withdrawal’
ALOR SETAR: Malaysia is confident that the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change will not fail despite the United States (US) having announced its withdrawal from the treaty.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said 194 countries had expressed their determination that the agreement would be maintained to tackle global warming.
“A lot of big countries, like China as well as the European Union, can take over the role of the United States in leading the fight against global warming.
“While we are disappointed with the United States, which at one point presented themselves as the champion in defending environmental issues, we are confident that the agreement will not be affected (even) without them.”
He said this during a visit to the Sungai Kedah/Anak Bukit Flood Mitigation Project site here yesterday.
Two days ago, US President Donald Trump drew global outrage and criticism when he announced that the US was pulling out of the agreement.
Wan Junaidi said the world was worried that should the agreement fail, it would have negative implications on the environment, including in Malaysia, when more low-lying areas would be flooded due to global warming.
“This is something that we need to defend through this agreement, although it might take some time (to materialise).”
He said the flood mitigation project, costing RM600 million, was expected to be completed in two years.
He urged the Kedah government not to develop the pre-historic area of Tanjung Mali in Langkawi, where drop stones were unearthed.
“Do not disturb the 1,200m site so that it can be turned into an eco-tourism area,” he said.
It was reported that the two billion-year-old area was once part of Antartica before it separated due to melting icebergs and becoming an island on its own. Bernama