| James Kon |
THOUGH Brunei Darussalam’s greenhouse gas emissions are limited, the country is taking actions to raise its climate ambition. As part of this, the Sultanate has revised its Nationally Determined Contributions that outline plans and actions for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Brunei’s commitment in battling climate change was highlighted by Minister of Energy and Industry Dato Paduka Dr Awang Haji Mat Suny bin Haji Mohd Hussein in his National Statement at the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Climate Action (SAMCA) held on July 10, attended by ministers in charge of climate change from ASEAN member states.
“The revision aims to shift the Nationally Determined Contributions from sectoral targets to a more action-oriented and long-term strategic trajectory for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” the Minister of Energy and Industry said.
Following the SAMCA, taking place was the Expanded SAMCA (E-SAMCA) session in the presence of ministers from Plus Three countries, the Presidencies of the 23rd and 24th sessions of Conference of Parties (COP) and the Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The meetings were inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore Teo Chee Hean and chaired by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources of the Republic of Singapore Masagos Zulkifli bin Masagos Mohamad.
The SAMCA discussed ASEAN’s concerted efforts in addressing climate change, given that it is one of the most vulnerable regions to the impact of climate change. ASEAN member states shared their respective climate action commitments while addressing the three Talanoa Dialogue questions, namely: ‘Where are we?’, ‘Where do we want to go?’ and ‘How do we get there?’
There was a strong sentiment across ASEAN member states on commitments to fulfil the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The cross-cutting issues within ASEAN sectoral bodies were also discussed with the view of ensuring coherence. It is hoped that this will strengthen the profile and centrality of ASEAN in tackling climate change and send a strong signal to the world.
The E-SAMCA discussed current cooperation and future opportunities between ASEAN and Plus Three partners to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Both COP Presidencies and UNFCCC emphasised the importance of negotiation and completion of the Paris Agreement Work Programme so as to operationalise the deal in a timely manner.
The meetings were hosted and organised by Singapore in support of its Year of Climate Action as part of the City State’s ASEAN Chairmanship focus – resilience and innovation.