This press release is available in English and Korean 

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, June 23-26, 2026 – Malaysia is demonstrating a strong commitment to expanding climate action under the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Methane Mitigation (AKCMM) Project. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) jointly organized a four-day program in Kota Kinabalu, bringing Sabah into the national decision-making process for methane mitigation in Malaysia. 

Following the national project launch in Langkawi on 31 July 2025, the program agenda included stakeholder engagement and consultation sessions, a capacity-building workshop, a site visit to the Kayu Madang Sanitary Landfill, and bilateral stakeholder meetings with Qhazanah Ventures and Sabah Economic and Development Investment Authority.  

In his introductory remarks, Chiden Balmes, Asia Regional Lead of GGGI, called attention to the economic benefits of methane mitigation, framing it as a driver of green growth for Malaysia. 

“In many ways, methane reduction is a practical example of what green growth looks like in action. When you reduce waste, improve efficiency, and create opportunities, the economy, society and environment can all benefit. It’s about protecting the sectors that drive Sabah’s economy, while making them more competitive, efficient, and sustainable. It’s also turning waste into opportunity, attracting investment, supporting livelihoods and ensuring that Sabah remains well positioned in a world where sustainability is increasingly becoming an economic advantage.” 

Mr. Ahmad Hussaini Bin Zulkeply, Chief Assistant Secretary from NRES, also underscored the importance of methane mitigation as an efficient climate solution, highlighting the waste sector as a critical area of concern in Malaysia. 

“The waste sector is the single largest contributor to national methane emissions, accounting for an overwhelming 53% of total methane emissions […] As one of the most potent greenhouse gases, methane reduction offers one of the fastest and most cost-effective pathways to slowing the rate of global warming, while delivering significant environmental, social and economic co-benefits.” 

These activities helped incorporate Sabah’s perspectives into the AKCMM Project in Malaysia. Stakeholder consultations generated key inputs to inform the national Methane Reduction Plan (MRP), identifying Sabah-specific priorities and challenges. The capacity building workshop strengthened participants’ understanding of inventory methodologies, while a site visit to Kayu Madang Sanitary Landfill showcased their practical applications—bridging technical concepts and real-world operations to further build Malaysia’s foundational capabilities for methane measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV). 

The program also established a platform for closer federal and state collaboration, improving coordination and broader awareness for methane mitigation while building lasting partnerships across key sectors. 

The AKCMM Project is a regional initiative implemented across ASEAN Member States from 2024 to 2027 under the Partnership for ASEAN–Republic of Korea Methane Action (PARMA). Funded by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF) and overseen by GGGI as the primary implementing partner, the project’s objective is to contribute towards a sustainable ASEAN community by establishing strong institutional, technical, and financial foundations for methane mitigation. 

In Malaysia, the project is helping to accelerate a transition towards greater institutional and technical capacity for methane mitigation and climate-related information systems, including higher-tier inventory methodologies, improved data management, and facility-level monitoring. Through this work, the AKCMM Project supports Malaysia’s national climate objectives and reporting commitments, as well as its journey towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. 

(Korean Translation)  

말레이시아, 한-아세안 메탄 감축 협력사업 통해 사바 주 포용적 기후 행동 논의의 장으로 이끌어 

말레이시아 사바 주 코타키나발루, 2026년 6월 23~26일 – 말레이시아는 한–아세안 메탄 감축 협력사업 (AKCMM)을 통한 기후 행동 확대에 강한 의지를 보이고 있다. 글로벌녹색성장기구(GGGI)와 천연자원환경지속가능성부(NRES)는 코타키나발루에서 나흘간의 프로그램을 공동 주최하여 사바 주를 말레이시아의 메탄 저감 관련 국가 정책 결정 과정에 참여시켰다. 

지난 2025년 7월 31일 랑카위에서 열린 국가 사업 출범식에 이어, 이번 프로그램에는 이해관계자 참여 및 협의 세션, 역량강화 워크숍, 카유 마당(Kayu Madang) 위생 매립지 현장 방문, 그리고 카자나 벤처스(Qhazanah Ventures) 및 사바 경제개발투자청(Sabah Economic and Development Investment Authority)과의 양자 이해관계자 회의 등이 포함되었다. 

GGGI 아시아지역 대표인 치덴 발메스(Chiden Balmes)는 개회사에서 메탄 저감의 경제적 이점에 주목하며, 이를 말레이시아 녹색성장의 동력으로 규정했다. 그는 “여러 면에서 메탄 저감은 실제 작동하는 녹색성장의 실질적 사례”라며, “폐기물을 줄이고 효율을 개선하며 새로운 기회를 창출할 때 경제와 사회, 환경이 모두 혜택을 얻을 수 있다”고 말했다. 이어 그는 이러한 노력이 사바 주 경제를 이끄는 산업 부문을 보호하는 동시에 이들 부문의 경쟁력과 효율성, 지속가능성을 높이는 일이라고 설명하며, “폐기물을 기회로 전환하고 투자를 유치하며 생계를 지원함으로써, 지속가능성이 점점 더 경제적 이점으로 작용하는 세계에서 사바 주가 유리한 위치를 유지하도록 하는 것”이라고 덧붙였다. 

NRES 차관보인 아흐마드 후사이니 빈 줄케플리(Ahmad Hussaini Bin Zulkeply)도 메탄 저감이 효율적인 기후 해법이라는 점을 강조하며, 말레이시아에서 폐기물 부문이 특히 주목해야 할 핵심 분야라고 지적했다. 그는 “폐기물 부문은 국가 메탄 배출의 단일 최대 배출원으로, 전체 메탄 배출량의 53%라는 압도적 비중을 차지한다”고 밝히며, 메탄이 가장 강력한 온실가스 중 하나인 만큼 그 저감이 지구온난화 속도를 늦추는 가장 신속하고 비용 효율적인 방안 중 하나이며 동시에 상당한 환경적·사회적·경제적 부수 효과를 가져온다고 말했다. 

이번 일련의 활동은 사바 주의 관점을 말레이시아 AKCMM 사업에 반영하는 데 기여했다. 이해관계자 협의 과정에서는 사바 주 특유의 우선순위와 과제를 파악하여 국가 메탄저감계획(Methane Reduction Plan, MRP) 수립에 필요한 핵심 자료가 도출되었다. 역량강화 워크숍은 참가자들의 배출량 산정 방법론에 대한 이해를 높였으며, 카유 마당 위생 매립지 현장 방문은 이러한 방법론의 실제 적용 사례를 보여줌으로써 기술적 개념과 현장 운영을 연결하고, 메탄 측정·모니터링·보고·검증(MMRV)을 위한 말레이시아의 기초 역량 강화에 기여했다. 

이번 프로그램은 또한 연방정부와 주정부 간 긴밀한 협력을 위한 플랫폼을 마련하여 메탄 저감에 대한 조정과 인식을 높이는 한편, 주요 부문 간의 지속적인 협력 관계 구축에도 기여했다. 

AKCMM 사업은 아세안–한국 메탄 행동 파트너십(Partnership for ASEAN–Republic of Korea Methane Action, PARMA) 아래 2024년부터 2027년까지 아세안 회원국 전역에서 시행되는 지역 사업이다. 아세안–한국 협력기금(AKCF)의 지원을 받고 GGGI가 주관 이행 기관으로서 사업을 총괄하며, 메탄 저감을 위한 제도적·기술적·재정적 기반을 구축함으로써 지속가능한 아세안 공동체 실현에 기여하는 것을 목표로 한다. 

말레이시아에서 이 사업은 상위 등급의 배출량 산정 방법론, 개선된 데이터 관리, 시설 단위 모니터링 등을 포함하여 메탄 저감 및 기후 관련 정보 시스템에 대한 제도적·기술적 역량을 한층 강화하는 전환을 가속화하는 데 기여하고 있다. 이를 통해 AKCMM 사업은 말레이시아의 국가 기후 목표 및 보고 의무 이행, 그리고 저탄소·기후 회복력을 갖춘 미래로의 여정을 뒷받침하고 있다.