13MP: Govt Outlines Three Strategies To Safeguard Planetary Health

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) – The government has outlined three key strategies to safeguard the planet’s health throughout the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to ensure the well-being of current and future generations.

According to the 13MP document released by the Ministry of Economy today, the three strategies are Strengthening Management of Climate Change and the Environment, Enhancing Biodiversity Conservation and Preservation, and Reinforcing Circular Economy Implementation and Improving Waste Management.

Under the first strategy, the government will introduce a National Adaptation Plan to address climate change threats across various sectors, including agriculture and food security, forestry and biodiversity, and public health.

“Specific legislation related to climate change will also be enforced to regulate the comprehensive implementation of climate action initiatives,” the document states.

Through the second strategy, emphasis will be placed on managing human-wildlife conflicts and preserving forest treasures, flora and fauna in high-risk areas by strengthening comprehensive development planning.

Efforts to preserve planetary health through nature-based approaches, including mangrove forest restoration and coral rehabilitation, will be expanded under this strategy.

Under the third strategy, efforts to strengthen circular economy practices and improve waste management will be intensified through policy enhancements, regulatory frameworks, implementation mechanisms and the development of modern infrastructure.

“Legislation related to the circular economy across various sectors will be drafted to regulate activities along the value chain, from production to disposal.

“In addition, mechanisms to adopt the circular economy will be improved, covering plastic sustainability, biomass and scheduled waste management, development of local sustainable aviation fuel, and expansion of producer responsibility,” the document says.

Meanwhile, according to the document, during the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), various efforts were also implemented to safeguard environmental health and these efforts recorded positive outcomes.

Among them, Malaysia’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on 2005 emission levels was reduced by 37.1 per cent as of 2021.

“This achievement is in line with the target of reducing GHG emissions intensity by 45 per cent by 2030. The household recycling rate also increased to 37.9 per cent last year (2024) from 35.4 per cent in 2023. As of 2024, 16 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas had been conserved,” the document says.

In addition, the implementation of the Malaysia Greening Programme through the 100 Million-Tree Planting Campaign also achieved its target last year (2024), in efforts to raise awareness on the importance of green cover and forests, and to improve the country’s ecosystem and biodiversity.

Meanwhile, several policies and laws were also formulated to address the impacts of climate change and improve natural resource management. These include the National Climate Change Policy 2.0 and the National Policy on Biological Diversity 2022-2030.

“Malaysia’s Long-Term Low Carbon Development Strategy has also been developed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” the document adds.

The implementation of the 13MP for the 2026-2030 period, themed “Melakar Semula Pembangunan” (Redesigning Development), represents the government’s effort to reform the national socioeconomic development agenda in line with the Malaysia MADANI framework.

— BERNAMA

Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial