Saving the Planet

A young Southeast Asian Cabinet Minister outlines the challenges and solutions for climate change and energy transition facing his country.

In December 2022, 40-year-old Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was appointed as Malaysia's Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC). A career politician, his first ministerial appointment was a baptism of fire as he was thrust into the complex world of environmental policy.

While 'green issues' had previously only been an occasional part of his work and activism, executing the Malaysian government's ambitious sustainability plans brought home to Nik Nazmi how crucial solving climate change is to the country's survival. He comes to realise that a key component of this task includes winning public support for the required transitions and changes, especially in the face of rising climate change denialism and pessimism.

Saving the Planet relates Nik Nazmi's experiences as NRECC Minister—later redesignated as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES)—and his thoughts on connected issues ranging from water management to climate financing. He stresses that developing countries, which are especially vulnerable to the destruction that ensues from environmental degradation, support climate action but require viable support from their wealthier counterparts.

Ultimately, climate change must be dealt with not only urgently but also inclusively if humanity is to succeed. It is fundamentally a moral and political challenge that will require radically changing our societies to become more just.

Saving the Planet is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intersections between politics and climate change, as well as for an authentic voice at the frontlines of climate action in the Global South.