KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 —The government is in the process of completing the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) document to ensure a net zero carbon emission can be achieved as targetted by 2050, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said the preparation of the document is important to assess the country’s performance in achieving the goal in addition to helping draw up appropriate and effective plans.

“There is an improvement in terms of our journey towards net zero carbon emissions but it is not enough yet. It means that if we expect (to achieve the target with) the existing policies, it is not enough, we need to go further.

“We have to complete the LT-LEDS document to know how far or close we are from our target towards net zero...we are waiting for the document to be completed, we will get a detailed technical report about the journey,” he said.

He said this when met after attending the Youth Empowerment Fair 2024 where he was a panelist at the forum, Youth Zero Carbon Heroes Unleashed forum! Shaping A Zero Emission Tomorrow For Malaysia, here today.

He said among the important elements in the preparation of LT-LEDS is the energy power development planning document by the Electricity Supply and Tariff Planning and Implementation Committee (JPPPET) which is being prepared by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Public Utilities.

“When it is ready, we can include it in the LT-LEDS document so we know what kind of power plant, how much gas, solar, we will use,” he said.

Regarding the proposal to implement a ‘congestion charge’ to reduce carbon emissions in addition to overcoming the problem of traffic congestion, Nik Nazmi said it can be considered if the public transport system has reached a satisfactory level.

“We can study the matter when we have the MRT3 (in the Klang Valley)... The MRT3 has not even started, it is still in the planning stage. But when it is ready, I don’t know, maybe six or seven years from now, the matter can be considered.

“This is not the first time it has been mentioned... we have to make sure our public transport has reached a good standard before we explore alternatives such as congestion charge,” he said. — Bernama