Organisations should integrate ESG, help cut greenhouse gas emissions – Nik Nazmi

SERDANG: Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has called on all organisations in Malaysia to integrate the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework to support the nation’s efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

He stressed that everyone must play a role in tackling the climate change crisis, which is increasingly affecting the people and the economy, not just in Malaysia but also around the world.

“If we fail to act swiftly, future generations may not be able to enjoy the world we live in today. Without realising it, the nation will incur significant costs if we remain passive and do not devise action plans to tackle this issue.

“Climate change needs to be addressed immediately to lessen or prevent its impact on the country’s growth and well-being in the future,” he said.

He was speaking at the launch of the Hopea Odorata Green Project, a collaboration between Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), at Bukit Ekspo, UPM today.

The Hopea Odorata Green Project is a three-year collaboration between ERL and UPM to plant 60 Hopea Odorata trees, commonly known as Merawan Siput Jantan.

As part of the collaboration, ERL also launched the GoGreen Ekspres ERL, which outlines the company’s Safety, Environmental, Social and Governance (SESG) Framework, detailing its commitments and efforts toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Commenting on the collaboration, Nik Nazmi said it serves as an example of how organisations, even from different sectors, can work together to contribute to environmental reforestation and carbon emission reduction.

Meanwhile, ERL chief executive officer Noormah Mohd Noor said the collaboration is one of the company’s corporate social responsibility activities identified in its GoGreen Ekspres report.

“This initiative with UPM focuses on environmental conservation by planting Hopea Odorata trees.

“We also strongly encourage the public to use the KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit services as their preferred daily transportation to reduce carbon emissions compared to driving private vehicles,” she said.