Co-funded by the European Union since 2015, the Mitigation Action Facility provides technical support and climate finance for ambitious mitigation projects aimed at decarbonising key sectors of the economy and society. Backed by other donors such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the facility offers grant-based funding for the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are crucial for meeting the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
The GCoM Asia project team was instrumental in connecting Malaysian cities and the facility by offering hands-on support throughout the application process. As a result, the three (3) Malaysian cities submitted 4 concept notes for the 2024 Call for Projects, a significant opportunity announced and launched at a high-level event during COP28 in Dubai. The call, which offered funding up to EUR 100 million, attracted applications globally. Recognising the importance of aligning local initiatives with national climate targets, the GCoM Asia project worked diligently to support four project concepts from Malaysian cities. This support encompassed various stages, including initial brainstorming sessions to identify viable project concepts, assistance in developing and refining project proposals, as well as review and revision of applications to ensure alignment with the facility’s criteria and objectives.
The notable project concepts submitted with support from the GCoM Asia project are:
- Miri: Green Mobility Revolution: National Postal Service (POS Malaysia) Sustainable Urban Transportation
- Penampang: Implementing Community-based Sustainable Renewable Energy Projects in Rural Sabah Malaysia
- Iskandar Region:
- Implementation of Iskandar Malaysia’s Smart Integrated Mobility Management System (SIMMS)
- Trans Boundary Renewable Energy Exchange Hub
The assessment and selection of project concepts shall be accomplished by May 2024.
Malaysia’s updated NDC submitted in 2021 has reinforced the earlier NDC submission in 2016. In the Fourth Biennial Update Report under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (December 2022), Malaysia reported that it sets an unconditional target of a 45% reduction in carbon intensity against GDP below 2005 levels, to be achieved in 2030. This approach involves a range of strategies articulated in Malaysia’s Roadmap to Greening the Nation which was shared with all countries during the Asia Pacific Climate Week 2023, including transitioning away from coal power plants, putting carbon pricing mechanisms in place, promoting electric vehicle technology (please refer to National Energy Transition Roadmap), and developing a National Blue Economy Blueprint amongst many others. By connecting local initiatives with global funding mechanisms like the Mitigation Action Facility, facilitated by the GCoM Asia Project, Malaysian cities are striving hard to contribute significantly to achieving these targets while fostering sustainable urban development.
More information about the Mitigation Action Facility.
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Written by: Rona Ikram Putri
Reviewed by: Pablo Gandara & Jacqueline Chang
