Combating Climate Change in Malaysia

Author(s):  
Nor Razinah Mohd. Zain ◽  
Aznan Hasan ◽  
Siti Ainatul Mardhiah Yusof ◽  
Engku Rabiah Adawiah Engku Ali

One of the main purposes for the issuance of sukuk is to fund large-scale development projects. With the rising interest for responsible finance and investment, Muslim scholars propose that besides utilizing sukuk an instrument to finance purely developmental projects, sukuk could be used as a vehicle to raise funds for financing various projects that meet the criteria of social and responsible finance. Innovation in the sukuk issuance, for example green sukuk, has played a prominent role in financing infrastructure and renewable energy projects. With the introduction of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations in 2015 that strategize to be a blueprint to achieve a sustainable future for all, green sukuk is seen as one of the most potential instruments that can be used in achieving such SDGs. Green sukuk stands with an advantage of a Shariah-compliance financing instrument which, besides meeting the demands from the investors and stakeholders, is also able to provide for a better alternative in a term of social finance discourse. Looking closely into the initiative in combating climate change in Malaysia, this research qualitatively investigates the potential and roles of green sukuk in leading the trend in eco-friendly investments and development projects. The research found that there is a positive trend among investors towards issuing green sukuk that are based on eco-friendly investments and development projects.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca R. Hernandez ◽  
Sarah M. Jordaan ◽  
Ben Kaldunski ◽  
Naresh Kumar

Energy development improves quality of life for humans, but also incurs environmental consequences. A global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy may mitigate climate change but may also undermine the capacity to achieve some or all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we use an innovation systems approach to construct a comprehensive roadmap for solar and wind energy to anticipate and improve impacts of a transition to a low carbon future in a manner ensuring climate goals and SDGs are mutually reinforcing. Our multidisciplinary approach began with an assessment of public investments in renewable energy followed by a 2-day research prioritization workshop. Fifty-eight expert workshop participants identified six research themes that proactively address the environmental sustainability of renewable energy. Next, we identified linkages between the six research themes and all 17 SDGs. Finally, we conducted a scientiometric analysis to analyze the research maturity of these themes. The results of these efforts elucidated the limits of existing knowledge of renewable energy-SDG interactions, informing the development of a research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) roadmap to a renewable energy future aligned with both climate goals and SDGs. The RD3 roadmap has been designed to systematically develop solutions for diverse actors and organizations. Overall, our findings confer a broad vision for a sustainable transition to renewables to minimize unintended environmental consequences while supporting interoperability among actors particularly poised to influence its magnitude and direction.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Singh

In the race to become a developed country, we are over utilizing as well as exploiting our natural resources, as a result we are facing problems like global warming, pollution, depletion of resources and so on. Now the time has come that we pay attention to these problems and protect life on earth, otherwise we will suffer serious consequences. Inter-generational equity and intra-generational equity are key aspects for sustainable development. For sustainable development, protection of environment is essential. Likewise, for protection of environment the adoption of policy of sustainable development is essential. At the 70th United Nations General Assembly session, sustainable development goals were adopted. In December 2015, at Paris there was a historical climate change agreement. Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]. The Paris deal is the world’s first comprehensive climate agreement. India presented its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions [INDC] in October 2015. These are important steps towards protection of our beautiful earth.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Doelman ◽  
Tom Kram ◽  
Benjamin Bodirsky ◽  
Isabelle Weindle ◽  
Elke Stehfest

<p>The human population has substantially grown and become wealthier over the last decades. These developments have led to major increases in the use of key natural resources such as food, energy and water causing increased pressure on the environment throughout the world. As these trends are projected to continue into the foreseeable future, a crucial question is how the provision of resources as well as the quality of the environment can be managed sustainably.</p><p>Environmental quality and resource provision are intricately linked. For example, food production depends on availability of water, land suitable for agriculture, and favourable climatic circumstances. In turn, food production causes climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, and affects biodiversity through conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture and through the effects of excessive fertilizer and use of pesticides. There are many examples of the complex interlinkages between different production systems and environmental issues. To handle this complexity the nexus concept has been introduced which recognizes that different sectors are inherently interconnected and must be investigated in an integrated, holistic manner.</p><p>Until now, the nexus literature predominantly exists of local studies or qualitative descriptions. This study present the first qualitative, multi-model nexus study at the global scale, based on scenarios simultaneously developed with the MAgPIE land use model and the IMAGE integrated assessment model. The goal is to quantify synergies and trade-offs between different sectors of the water-land-energy-food-climate nexus in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Each scenario is designed to substantially improve one of the nexus sectors water, land, energy, food or climate. A number of indicators that capture important aspects of both the nexus sectors and related SDGs is selected to assess whether these scenarios provide synergies or trade-offs with other nexus sectors, and to quantify the effects. Additionally a scenario is developed that aims to optimize policy action across nexus sectors providing an example of a holistic approach that achieves multiple sustainable development goals.</p><p>The results of this study highlight many synergies and trade-offs. For example, an important trade-off exists between climate change policy and food security targets: large-scale implementation of bio-energy and afforestation to achieve stringent climate targets negatively impacts food security. An interesting synergy exists between the food, water and climate sectors: promoting healthy diets reduces water use, improves water quality and increases the uptake of carbon by forests.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 07004
Author(s):  
Magdalena Tyszer ◽  
Slávka Gałaś

In the last years, the European Union has developed and set a several environmental policies whose imposes an obligation on Member States to implement specific actions, including incorporating climate change considerations into SEA and EIA processes. One of major environmental challenges facing most developing countries is that of global climate change. The aim of the research was to obtain a comprehensive review of existing SEA and EIA practical approaches for renewable energy installations in the aspect of adaptation to climate change with specific reference to Polish projects. Both SEA and EIA procedures implemented in Poland and other countries was introduced with the intent of factoring in potential risk to the environment by future large-scale project developments such as the construction of power plants, roads, or dams. The paper consist the initial recognition of available data of the current experience and level of implementation climate change impact and adaptions into local procedures. Preliminary results suggest that the additional funding should be given for climate change adaptation in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy projects, as well as specific interventions for climate-adapted energy systems should be targeted in order to fill the gap in RES sector and spur sustainable energy development.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Bredberg ◽  
Anna Bergqvist

<p>Climate change is one of the most important global issues affecting the entire population on the earth, particularly young people. Since climate change is already threating us all, it is of utmost importance to raise this issue in a wide range of community policies, including school programs. In line with this reasoning, teacher at our school have together started a collaborative project in different subject as Natural Science, Swedish, Economics, Human Rights and Social Science focused on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The primary objective with this collaborative project is to work with United Nations sustainaable Development Goals since it is applicable to the school subjects in many different aspects, including Economic, Social science and Science. An important objective of this project is to provide students with educational and practical training in how to make scientific inquiries and write a scientific report. During this school year, participating students will attend lectures and exhibitions concerning United Nations’ Sustanable Development Goals. In April 2020 the students will present their reports in a conference at the department of Geological Sciences at Stockholm University.</p>


Author(s):  
Valentina Vlado Lisauskaite

The subject of this research is the international relations on accomplishment of sustainable development goals, taking into account the risks of disasters and remedy against them. The object of this research is several documents: United Nations General Assembly Resolutions “Our Changing World: Agenda on Sustainable Development until 2030”, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, Paris Agreement on Climate Change 2015. Detailed analysis is conducted on the provisions of the indicated documents in the context of their interrelation for effective implementation. Special attention is dedicated the impact of disaster risk upon sustainable development goals, namely their accomplishment. The following conclusions were formulated: sustainable development goals represents basic trends for development of each country and global community as  a whole; they are directly related to less significant problems that trying to be resolved by joint efforts of the global community (protection from disasters and climate change). These three block represent the equilateral sides of a triangle of international relations, realized for the purpose of harmonious development of modern civilization. The author’s special contribution lies in correlation of the particular provisions of aforementioned documents, and in schematic interpretation of such correlation. The novelty lies in the fact that the science of international law usually reviews these documents separately from each other, just mentioning their interrelation. The author reflect the approach that is being currently implemented by specific practitioners on elaboration of indicators of interrelation between sustainable development goals and disaster risk reduction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina El Mekaoui ◽  
Rasikh Tariq ◽  
Othón Baños Ramírez ◽  
P.E. Méndez-Monroy

Sustainable development is an integrated blend of energetic, economic, social, environmental, and governmental actors, making it one of the most challenging and subjective aims of the United Nations. A sustainability project that does not consider any of these parameters can generate resistance among different actors of society. In this work, we have demonstrated that the traditional definition of sustainability encompassing economic development, environmental protection, and social justice does not adequately cover large-scale renewable energy projects. We have presented an illuminating case study of solar development in the Yucatan state of Mexico to show that the traditional three-legged stool of sustainable development fails to accommodate local power relations and their role in energy decision-making. This point is made through a substantive and illuminating ethnography of a solar project in the community of San José Tipceh, which involves the importance of energy democracy and understanding power relations in any assessment of sustainable development. These power relations are an important component of sustainable development, and all megaprojects, especially renewable energy projects, require special attention in the governance processes. Through an analysis of an example of implementation of a mega solar project, we argue that the methodology through which the power is exercised is an exercise of great importance because it leads us to a scientific discussion that structures an international reflection on sustainability. The case study consists of mixed methods, including several techniques to deepen the analysis of sociocultural aspects, and tries to present the limits and show the weakness of the sustainability perspective in such megaprojects. It is concluded that environmental justice as a basic element of the new era of renewable energies is limited and can generate social injustices. In the same way, this work shows how power is exercised in the implementation of energy projects and in the absence of equitable comprehensive governance that does not consider the local sociocultural contexts of the communities, resulting in the generation of new powers and permanent conflicts. At the end of this work, a framework to empower local sociocultural contexts for an equitable energy transition is recommended.


Author(s):  
Miriam Grace ◽  
Alexis Meletiou ◽  
Myriam Pham-Truffert ◽  
Marianne Darbi ◽  
Karla Estela Locher-Krause ◽  
...  

The European Union (EU) is committed to tackling the issue of climate change, which poses serious risks to the global environment and human well-being. Supporting renewable energy is a key policy direction for the EU to lower its contributions to climate change. However, renewable energy technologies have diverse effects on the environment and on society. These effects can be considered a complex system of interacting elements and are challenging to assess. Conceptual models are a way of synthesizing this information to obtain an overview of the system and essential insights. We present the results of an activity to assess the impacts of EU renewable energy policies on overseas biodiversity and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was carried out as part of the EKLIPSE (EKLIPSE (Establishing a European Knowledge and Learning Mechanism to Improve the Policy-Science-Society Interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) mechanism to synthesise environmental knowledge in response to specific requests by decision-makers at the European level. We carried out a participatory process to collate expert knowledge into a conceptual model using a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Approach (Özesmi and Özesmi 2004), with the Mental Modeler software for mapping (Gray et al. 2013). The participants were guided to connect significant EU policies associated with renewable energy, the technologies they support, and known impacts of these technologies on biodiversity and the SDGs, drawing on a preliminary review of the literature. The individual models obtained were integrated into a single model (see Suppl. material 1 for images). This was then subject to network analysis, which reveals the collective effects of different renewable energy technologies (RETs) on the wider socioecological system. Our findings highlight that RETs have complex and at times disparate effects on biodiversity and the SDGs, acting through a variety of mediating processes. They benefit the SDGs on balance, particularly climate-related SDGs. Mitigation of biodiversity impacts remains a concern, and processes such as habitat change were found to be influential here. Our results suggest that policymakers must focus on implementing appropriate environmental impact assessments, guided by these mediating processes. This would minimize any negative environmental impacts of RETs, while maximizing the benefits.


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