SUBANG JAYA, Aug 16 — Asean can set the benchmark for sustainable growth in the Global South if policies, businesses, and people are aligned towards a low-carbon future, said the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said as Asean is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, it is important for the region to be more proactive in climate leadership, given its vulnerability to climate risks due to its lengthy 173,000km coastline.
“Under our Asean chairmanship, Malaysia is pushing for initiatives that make sustainability a collective and financially viable goal,” he said.
Tengku Zafrul said this in his keynote address at the Economic and Leadership Forum (ELF) here today.
“Our vision is to transform Asean into a global hub for green investment and technology.
“This is why we are championing priority economic deliverables, covering important objectives such as sustainable investments, green financing and capital, an Asean Electric Vehicles roadmap, green transition for micro, small and medium enterprises, and positioning Asean as a sustainable minerals investment destination,” he said.
He also expressed hope that these deliverables would be translated into domestic policies that reduce risk for investors, accelerate technology adoption, and ensure that sustainability generates viable returns.
“If we can move first — if Malaysia and Asean can make the green transition ahead of our global competitors — we can secure leadership and attract capital in sustainable investments, manufacturing and trade.
“We can build not just products but also the ‘people-planet-profit’ trust and credibility,” he explained.
Tengku Zafrul added that as Asean chair, Malaysia has been urging member states to adopt a stronger, more unified stance on climate action.
He said the government is committed to leading the region’s sustainability agenda, especially through the Guidelines for Implementing Asean Sustainable Initiatives.
“Malaysia itself is guided by the National Climate Change Policy 2.0, and we are preparing to table the National Climate Change Bill this year,” he said.
The ELF Forum is an annual event hosted by the London School of Economics Student Union Malaysia Club to promote meaningful discussion on real-world issues from a Malaysian perspective among youth.
Sunway Education Group chief executive officer Datuk Elizabeth Lee said the forum, themed “Asean Business Policy: What’s The Sustainability Blueprint”, is most timely as the Asean region grapples with an intensifying climate crisis that is taking a toll both on the environment and local communities.
“National policies and regional cooperation must be shaped not only by scientific evidence and environmental urgency, but also by the political will and institutional capacity to act and to drive meaningful and lasting change,” she said in her welcoming speech video.
