The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) Malaysia was inaugurated in the GCoM National Launch on 21st March, in Johor Bahru. The Launch, held back to back with the “Training on Climate Change Adaptation, Module 1”, was ground breaking for cities’ co-operations in the Country in their low-carbon, inclusive and resilient development trajectories. Inter-cities co-operations nationally and internationally and the leverage of climate expertise and exchanges by the GCoM Southeast Asia Partners fosters accelerated, ambitious and measurable climate and energy initiatives.
Dignitaries from the host organisation, Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), the European Union’s International Urban Cooperation (IUC) Asia programme, Local Government, Science and Technology Committee and GCoM SEA welcomed the audience. They stressed commitments on partnership and co-operations, and actions of cities to address climate change. Such commitments have been made against the backdrop of cities’ being the consumer of two-thirds of the global primary energy supply, and which produce 70% of the global energy-related CO2 emissions. Cities with their large and concentrated populations, drivers of national economy and extensive infrastructures, further make them highly vulnerable and sensitive to climate threats. These in turn, presented opportunities for cities as the principal arena for sustainable energy and climate actions.
Through the GCoM Platform, leading figures have also expressed their commitments to address and envision transformation to low-carbon development in close partnerships with local governments, businesses, practitioners and the media.
The Launch also witnessed the signing of GCoM Letter of Commitment by City Hall of Kuala Lumpur and Perbadanan Putrajaya.
Implementation on the ground and strategic actions were showcased and discussed in Panel Discussions series on “Malaysian Cities and Their Actions to Fight Climate Change” (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and “International Cities and Their Actions to Fight Climate Change” (1, 2, 3).
The GCoM Launch in Malaysia had been supported by IRDA and My Iskandar Sdn. Bhd. The GCoM Initiatives in Southeast Asia have been supported by IUC Asia and GCoM Southeast Asia (GCoM SEA) Secretariat with the supports of GCoM Regional Partners—C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), CityNet, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (Southeast Asia), United Nations (UN) Habitat.
