WHERE IS THE SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT AGENDA?

Published on 19 Dec 2025

In “Where Is the Sustainability, Climate, and Environment Agenda?” Mo Chang How delivers a sharp critique of Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, arguing that while climate ambition and policy frameworks have multiplied, meaningful implementation remains absent. Drawing on national and regional examples—from Malaysia’s Second National Climate Change Policy and Kuala Lumpur’s climate action plans to ASEAN’s non-binding, consensus-driven climate mechanisms—the piece highlights a persistent gap between rhetoric and delivery. Mo Chang contends that ASEAN’s reliance on voluntary commitments, combined with weak monitoring, limited community engagement, and the absence of forward-looking regional climate strategies, has sidelined sustainability at a moment of escalating climate risk. The article ultimately warns that without accountability, enforcement, and people-centred implementation, climate leadership risks becoming performative—leaving both Malaysia and ASEAN unprepared for the future they continue to promise.