{"id":7682,"date":"2023-01-25T10:46:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T02:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/?p=7682"},"modified":"2023-05-17T09:26:42","modified_gmt":"2023-05-17T01:26:42","slug":"seberang-perais-significant-strides-in-the-fight-against-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icleiseas.org\/index.php\/2023\/01\/25\/seberang-perais-significant-strides-in-the-fight-against-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Seberang Perai\u2019s significant strides in the fight against climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around 19% emissions reduction from over 7,400 KtCO2e to over 5,900 KtCO2e emissions in 6 years\u2014ICLEI and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) Member Seberang Perai’s environmental efforts are paying off and the city is making strides towards its climate change mitigation targets. <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Having implemented initiatives focused on energy production and consumption, building urban green spaces, and the circular economy, significant carbon dioxide avoidance and sequestration have been recorded. These actions have also resulted in equally important co-benefits impacting the quality of life of the local community. \u00a0 <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

The negative effects of climate change are only exacerbating over the years on a global scale, with the Paris Agreement still far from reaching its below 2\u00b0C target. Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia is no exception to climate change and its negative effects. Understanding the severity of the situation, the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) has done numerous green initiatives including those that involve renewable energy, energy efficiency, creating urban green spaces, and the circular economy. These initiatives have resulted in the reduction of GHG emissions from 7,429.42 KtCO2e in 2016 to 5,985.89 KtCO2e in 2021. Useful lessons abound from MBSP\u2019s significant efforts in tackling climate change, including the need to focus on both people and the environment, forming public-private partnerships, and building public trust to foster community participation in the fight against climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Importance of GHG Emission Reductions in Combatting Climate Change<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the steady rise of global temperatures, a landmark agreement was made to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable, low-carbon future\u2014the Paris Agreement. This <\/span>legally binding international treaty<\/strong><\/span><\/a> currently involves 196 nation\u2013states who have pledged to limit global warming to well below 2\u00b0C, preferably to 1.5\u00b0C, compared to pre-industrial levels, through the reduction of GHG emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, 400 Metric tonnes of CO2\u2014which comprises <\/span>66% of the greenhouse gasses<\/strong><\/span><\/a> responsible for the warming of our planet\u2014was emitted globally just last year in 2021. Worse, this figure is only expected to <\/span>increase<\/strong><\/span><\/a> in the coming years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Numerous methods have been and are being taken globally towards reducing future carbon emissions. These include utilizing renewable energy, energy-saving initiatives, carbon sequestration, and waste management.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shifting towards renewable energy<\/strong><\/span><\/a> as well as energy efficiency initiatives helps reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources that are the main sources of CO2. Carbon sequestration\u2014the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide\u2014in the form of planting trees is another effective means of climate change mitigation, with<\/span> trees acting as a natural absorber of CO2.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Waste management<\/span><\/strong><\/a> also presents itself as a critical climate crisis solution. Mismanagement of food wastes produces 10% of all global GHG emissions and <\/span>mismanagement of plastic wastes<\/span><\/strong><\/a> causes plastic leakage into oceans, harming the aquatic life needed for carbon sequestration and productivity of fisheries.\u00a0 In this sector, the transition to a circular economy is one of the most holistic means of combating the waste problem associated with traditional, linear modes of production and consumption.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Seberang Perai Context<\/strong><\/p>\n

Such climate actions are being undertaken locally by ICLEI member Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP). Its current Mayor, Dato\u2019 Azhar Bin Haji Arshad, serves as an Advisor to the ICLEI Climate Action and Low Emission Development portfolio.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Seberang Perai is the mainland counterpart of Penang state, located towards the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. With a growing population of over <\/span>1.1-million\u00a0 residents<\/strong><\/span><\/a> as of 2020, Seberang Perai\u2019s economy focuses on the <\/span>agriculture, <\/strong><\/span><\/a>manufacturing<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,<\/strong><\/span> and services (especially <\/span>eco-tourism<\/strong><\/span><\/a>) industries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like other urban cities in the world, Seberang Perai faces both the short- and long-term effects of climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Current predictions have the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia experiencing an average sea level rise of\u00a0 0.07\u20130.14 meters by 2040. This puts major areas of Seberang Perai at high risk of being inundated by seawater by 2050. <\/span>Coastal flooding threatens the city\u2019s agricultural lands<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,<\/strong><\/span> affecting not only its crop output but the region\u2019s overall food security as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides rising sea levels,<\/strong><\/span><\/a> the city is susceptible<\/span> to droughts, floods, storms, heatwaves, landslides, and wildfires, giving rise to resource, public health, and socioeconomic issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the years leading up to 2016, Seberang Perai saw rising GHG emissions. 7,429.42 KtCO2e was emitted in 2016, equating to over 8 tCO2e per capita. <\/span>Stationary energy consumption<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2014or emissions coming from fuels used for electricity generation\u2014made up the bulk of this figure with 3,234.07 KtCO2e <\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>emissions.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Acknowledging that more needs to be done to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, Seberang Perai declared a climate emergency in 2016. Since the declaration, Seberang Perai has made climate actions that collectively achieved a per-person reduction of carbon emissions from 8.37 tCO2e\u00a0 to 5.39 tCO2e from 2016 to 2021, equivalent to a 33% reduction in five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seberang Perai\u2019s Green Efforts<\/strong><\/p>\n

MBSP\u2019s climate achievements thus far feed into its <\/span>goal<\/strong><\/span><\/a> of being a Low Carbon City by 2022, a Carbon Neutral City by 2030, and a Zero Carbon City by 2050.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The city\u2019s sustainable development efforts are outlined in its 2021 report titled <\/span>Seberang Perai Achievement in Low Carbon City & Smart City<\/span><\/i>. These include<\/span> a range of successfully implemented and upcoming initiatives categorized into <\/span>five domains<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u2014 Smart Environment, Smart Community, Smart Mobility, Smart Government, and Smart Economy. The first three of these domains are anchored on the concepts of renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon sequestration, and circular economy.<\/span><\/p>\n