The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) entered into force on 21 March 1994 is a “Rio Convention”, among the three adopted at the “Rio Earth Summit” in 1992. The UNFCCC recognises the climate change as a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods (UNFCCC, 1992). Thus, its ultimate objective is to achieve:

“…stabilization of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system…”

Efforts to address the issues of climate change, particularly on greenhouse emission reduction continued and brought to the adoption of Kyoto Protocol on 11 December 1997. The Kyoto Protocol commits its developed countries Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.

Today, there are 195 Parties to the UNFCCC and 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. Malaysia ratified the UNFCCC on 13 July 1994 and subsequently ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 4 September 2002 (UNFCCC).

The implementation of international agreements on climate change in the country falls under the Environmental Management and Climate Change Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. This division is serving as the focal point to the UNFCCC and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ensuring that Malaysia’s interest in global and regional environmental issues is protected. At the same times, it provides support to the Secretariat of the Green Technology and Climate Change Council which is chaired by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, which guides the implementation of the National Policy on Climate Change (NPCC) and the National Green Technology Policy.

To address the challenges of climate change, collective effort is necessary from stakeholders such as the federal and state governments, local authorities, community-based organisations, non-government organisations, academia and the private sectors. Policy-makers practitioners and researchers constitute three important groups on this effort. Policy-makers participate in international negotiations, formulate and monitor policies and strategies while practitioners implement actions on the ground. Researchers undertake policy analysis, scientific investigations and stakeholder consultations to support both policy-makers and practitioners.