Harkiranpal Singh Karpal Singh

Beyond the Kyoto Protocol: Malaysia's Response to Climate Change Harkiranpal Singh Karpal Singh

In the last century, the world has experienced a drastic change in its climate. In order to prevent this situation from becoming worse, the international community has come up with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992. As a result of this, the Kyoto Protocol came about in 1998. Currently, the developed nations and the developing nations are in loggerheads over the level of commitment and obligation required and expected of them. Due to this disagreement, most of the developed nations have yet to start fulfilling their obligations in relation to achieving the reduction of the greenhouse gases in their atmosphere. According to the Protocol, the level of commitment and obligation required of a developed nation is far greater compared to than those of the developing nations which are next to nothing. Though, Malaysia being a developing country does not have much obligation, it could do more to help reduce climate change because this problem is a global one and Malaysia has started experiencing the adverse effect of climate change. Malaysia could take those measures which effects will not have an adverse effect on her economy.