Malaysia has taken a fresh step in its methane mitigation efforts by formally drawing the state of Sabah into national policymaking, according to GGGI, which co-organized a four-day program in Kota Kinabalu from June 23–26, 2026 with Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES). The event follows the national launch of the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Methane Mitigation (AKCMM) Project in Langkawi on July 31, 2025, and included stakeholder consultations, a capacity-building workshop, a visit to the Kayu Madang Sanitary Landfill, and bilateral meetings with state-linked investment bodies, including Sabah’s economic development investment authority and an investment entity given as “Qhazanah Ventures”.
GGGI’s Asia Regional Lead, Chiden Balmes, framed methane reduction as a form of green growth that can cut waste, boost competitiveness and attract investment for Sabah’s economy. NRES Chief Assistant Secretary Ahmad Hussaini Bin Zulkeply said the waste sector accounts for 53% of Malaysia’s national methane emissions, calling methane cuts one of the fastest, most cost-effective levers against near-term warming.
Organizers said the Sabah sessions generated state-specific input for Malaysia’s national Methane Reduction Plan, strengthened local understanding of emissions-inventory methodologies, and advanced the country’s foundational measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) capacity, while creating a platform for closer federal-state coordination. The AKCMM Project runs across ASEAN member states from 2024–2027 under the Partnership for ASEAN–Republic of Korea Methane Action (PARMA), funded by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund and implemented by GGGI; in Malaysia it supports higher-tier inventory methods, improved data management and facility-level monitoring tied to the country’s climate reporting commitments.
Carbon Market Context
- Methane is widely tracked as a high-priority, fast-acting lever in Asian decarbonization strategies given its outsized near-term warming effect relative to CO2, which is why capacity-building on measurement and reporting — as seen in this program — is often treated as a precursor to any future market or financing mechanisms tied to waste-sector abatement.
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