The Malaysian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, has called on ASEAN nations to take the lead in addressing climate challenges as global efforts face increasing instability and fragmentation.

Speaking at a recent climate forum, Nik Nazmi emphasized that disruptions in the global climate agenda — including U.S. tariffs on Southeast Asian solar photovoltaic manufacturers and the United States’ earlier withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement — have highlighted the urgency of strong regional cooperation.

“Together, ASEAN can lead. We have natural resources, growing markets, young populations, and a shared destiny,” said Nik Nazmi.

He stressed that ASEAN countries must pool their resources and align efforts to confront shared threats such as intensifying extreme weather events, rising sea levels, biodiversity loss, and mounting economic damage due to climate change.

Malaysia, he noted, remains committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim target to peak emissions by 2030 and to reduce emission intensity per unit of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by that same year.

Nik Nazmi also underscored the importance of the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) initiative, which aims to interconnect national electricity grids across member states. This cross-border integration, he said, is critical to building a more resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy system.

“Our power integration projects aim to trade not just electricity but clean electricity,” he said. “This is a strategic pathway to decarbonize our power sector, which remains the region’s largest source of emissions.”

The minister concluded by urging ASEAN members to harness their collective strength and take ownership of the region’s sustainability agenda amid shifting global dynamics.