Kuala Lumpur: Transboundary haze, a persistent issue in the region, is anticipated to be a key focus at the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Sustainability Summit (KLSS) from October 14 to 16, as stated by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. The summit, aligned with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, aims to unite key stakeholders from ASEAN member states to enhance regional climate action.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nik Nazmi emphasized the ongoing discussions on transboundary haze within ASEAN platforms, highlighting its inclusion in this year’s ASEAN meeting agenda. He mentioned that the KLSS aspires to foster discussions, potentially resulting in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Climate Resilience, thereby positioning Kuala Lumpur as a leading platform for strategic climate resilience discussions in the future.

KLSS is set to feature thought leaders from ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region, offering podcasts, keynotes, panels, and roundtables centered on actionable strategies for local, regional, and global impact. The Minister further emphasized the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability’s collaboration with state governments to address deforestation, focusing on land and water issues.

Nik Nazmi also pointed out the implementation of the National Forestry (Amendment) Act 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan, which mandates public inquiries for any degazettement of protected forests, ensuring replacement with equal or larger areas of protected forests. Additionally, the government has increased the Ecological Fiscal Transfers (EFT) fund to RM250 million this year, compared to RM60 million in 2019, to incentivize state governments adopting high standards under the National Forestry Act 2022.