Malaysia Accused of Underreporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions To The UN, Minister Defends Report

Recently Malaysia was given the top international recognition in our efforts to reduce ozone-depleting materials. However, a report on our greenhouse gas emissions has instead received international criticism.

In an investigative report by The Washington Post on 7 November, they accused that Malaysia had underreported its greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations (UN).

The report says, “Malaysia’s latest catalogue of its greenhouse gas emissions to the UN reads like a report from a parallel universe. The 285-page document suggests that Malaysia’s trees are absorbing carbon four times faster than similar forests in neighboring Indonesia.”

“The surprising claim has allowed the country to subtract over 243 million tons of carbon dioxide from its 2016 inventory — slashing 73 percent of emissions from its bottom line.”

According to the article, this claim resulted in Malaysia reporting 81 million tons of emissions to the UN in 2016 despite releasing 422 million tons that year. Malaysia was used as an example of how many countries under report their greenhouse gas emissions to the UN.

Taking notice of the investigative report was Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who defended Malaysia’s greenhouse gas emissions reporting mechanism to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) after the accusation.

In a statement posed on his Facebook page on 9 November, Tuan Ibrahim explained that the report was produced via a “very rigorous process” that is in line with all UNFCCC requirements.

“The whole process is based on transparency, accuracy, consistency, comparability and completeness principles,” he added.

“As such, Malaysia regrets the action of The Washington Post in questioning the integrity of the UNFCCC process and outcome.”

This process also included “multiple stakeholder consultations” with experts, academics, NGOs, the private sector and data providers.

Further emphasising his point, Tuan Ibrahim said that UNFCCC-appointed experts were in the midst of scrutinising Malaysia’s report.

“Under the UNFCCC BUR process, Malaysia has undergone three sessions of international consultative and analysis and two sessions of facilitative sharing of views thus far.”

The report by The Washington Post had questioned the data integrity of countries, but not the UNFCCC process.

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Also read: Malaysia Given Top International Recognition In Reducing Ozone Depleting Materials