LETTER | Climate change: Still so much we can do to turn the tide

LETTER | April 22 is Earth Day, which follows World Meteorological Day on March 23. Perhaps the most prominent Earth- and meteorology-related issue right now is indeed climate change. The catastrophic December 2021 floods have brought home even closer to how climate change spares no one.

The theme for World Meteorological Day was “Early Warning and Early Action”, while the theme for Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet”.

Furthermore, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) recently released reports related to its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).

What the reports say do not bode well for our planet and humanity, and any actions we take to mitigate changes caused by climate change will not be able to reverse some of the serious damage already done.

But does this mean we have to resign ourselves to inevitable climate catastrophe or even Armageddon?

There is still so much we can do to turn the tide.

At the highest level of government, we should consider setting up a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on climate change. While we may have one or more PSCs that may examine the issue of climate change, the urgency of the issue of climate change makes it ripe for the setting up of a PSC dedicate to tackling the issue of climate change.

Parliament, being a forum of the people, is indeed a most uniquely suitable arena to discuss and come up with solutions for the issue of climate change. A climate change PSC will enable Parliament to pay closer attention to this critical issue.

Our MPs can go directly to the ground and gather the voices and views of their constituents on the issue of climate change and present them to this PSC or in parliamentary sessions. Perhaps a special session on climate change can be held in order to allow MPs to debate this issue more vigorously and come up with preventive actions and solutions.

Furthermore, Parliament can invite local climate change experts to give presentations and share expert views on the current state of climate change, whether globally or in Malaysia. One such expert that comes to mind is Joy Pereira from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, who serves as vice-chair of Working Group II of the IPCC’s AR6.

Parliament can also invite ordinary citizens who have been affected by climate change to share their thoughts, even their pain. What better place to hear the voices of the people than in the Dewan Rakyat, whose name means “hall of the people”?

Another area we should strengthen is the participation of our youths in tackling climate change. Global climate changes events such as COP26 have seen more active and vibrant participation from youth around the world.

At the first Youth Climate Summit in September 2019, the United Nations secretary-general even served as “keynote listener,” highlighting how important it is for us to listen to the youth and work hand-in-hand with them to overcome the challenges we face.

In a letter to the media, Mogesh Sababathy, Malaysia’s representative to #Youth4Climate held in Milan, Italy last September, wrote: “My call to the government is to create a mechanism that enables the involvement of the Malaysian community more inclusively, especially in terms of providing a platform to voice out opinions, access to climate education, and recognise the position of young people to contribute to climate governance. The future of the world is in our hands!”

It is indeed high time for such a mechanism and platform, and what better than one spearheaded by the youth. In fact, for the proposed climate change PSC, it would be ideal to have it chaired by and made up of younger MPs in Parliament, as a commitment by the government to empower our youth.

Malaysian youth are playing important roles in driving change and helping fellow Malaysians during difficult times. One young man I spoke to recently spoke about how he tried his best to secure a boat to rescue victims trapped in the recent floods in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, and how he and other youths helped clean up the houses of flood victims in the aftermath of the floods. Such actions bring people of all backgrounds together and can engender a sense of solidarity that transcends all differences and bridges all divides.

This young man has recently become a member of a community group that helps to look out for possible signs of flooding in his community and to aid if needed. Such community groups are a true reflection of the Malaysian nation we aspire to build.

In his 2022 peace proposal, Buddhist peace activist and Soka Gakkai International president Daisaku Ikeda wrote: “Youth around the world are demanding a greater role in global efforts to address the climate crisis, an issue that directly threatens their lives and futures. They are proactively working to establish a framework within which they can consistently participate in discussions and decision-making processes…

“Human beings inherently possess the strength to overcome any challenge. When youth stand up in solidarity, confident that they can determine the future, this fresh awareness and momentum will surely become the driving force toward a brighter future.”

There is no better time than now to empower our youth in seeking solutions to the climate crisis. Let us trust them, encourage them and nurture them in our own ways, at all levels of society, and create a better future not just for Malaysians but the global human community.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.