adminKuala Lumpur — A media engagement workshop on communicating Malaysia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 was held to strengthen accurate, transparent and accessible reporting of the country’s climate policies and national climate action.
Organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the workshop aligns with a clear policy objective to ensure that Malaysia’s climate commitments, achievements and government initiatives are effectively communicated to stakeholders at all levels.
The initiative aims to enhance public understanding of both the direction and substance of Malaysia’s response to climate change.
In her opening remarks, Deputy Secretary General (Environmental Sustainability) at NRES, Datuk Nor Yahati Binti Awang, highlighted Malaysia’s obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the submission of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, under the Paris Agreement on a five-year cycle.
She said NRES is intensifying Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) initiatives related to NDC 3.0 to improve public understanding, strengthen stakeholder engagement, promote behavioural change and enhance coordination between the Federal Government, state governments and industry.
“These CEPA initiatives will be implemented across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, recognising the importance of region-specific engagement in delivering effective national climate action,” she said.
Datuk Nor Yahati also underscored the critical role of the media in bridging government policy and public understanding, noting that without accurate and sustained media coverage, even well-designed policies risk falling short of their intended impact.
“The workshop aims to enhance journalists’ understanding of Malaysia’s NDC 3.0 goals and their national relevance, while supporting effective approaches to communicating complex climate policies in a clear and accessible manner,” she added.
Meanwhile, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, Mr Besian Xhezo, emphasised that climate impacts are not experienced equally across society. He noted that lower-income households, women, older persons, informal workers and climate-exposed communities face higher risks and have fewer resources to adapt.
He said Malaysia’s approach of integrating just transition, gender and financing considerations into its climate targets is essential to ensuring that climate action is inclusive and equitable.
“Climate action is only effective when people can see themselves in it, trust it and benefit from it—not merely bear its costs,” he said.
Mr Besian also highlighted the evolving role of the media in an environment marked by misinformation, fragmented audiences and competing narratives. He stressed that journalists play a vital role not only in reporting climate policies, but also in translating, contextualising and connecting these issues to the lived experiences of diverse audiences.
The workshop featured two sessions. In the first session, Senior Assistant Secretary (Climate Change Policy and Negotiation) at NRES, Muhammad Ridzwan bin Ali, provided an overview of Malaysia’s NDC 3.0, offering a simplified explanation of its objectives, significance and policy direction.
The second session was conducted by Science Media Centre Malaysia co-founder Tan Su Lin, who shared best practices on breaking down complex climate policies into clear and engaging stories. She encouraged journalists to avoid overly technical language and highlighted the value of solutions journalism in helping audiences better understand climate challenges and responses.
The workshop brought together media practitioners from various platforms to build capacity for sustained and responsible climate reporting, recognising the media as a key partner in ensuring Malaysia’s climate commitments are clearly understood by the public.
-Hipz Media
Photo — Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC), and Science Media Centre Malaysia
