Poll: Only 39pct of youths think govt can handle climate crisis

Only 39 percent of respondents believe that the government can be trusted to tackle the ongoing climate crisis in Malaysia, revealed a survey on youth sentiments by environmental group MyHutan.

Similarly, the survey showed only 37 percent of the respondents think that the government is taking climate change risks seriously.

“This lack of trust could be attributed to various factors. It may stem from perceived inadequacies in the government’s policies, actions, or implementation of measures to address climate change.

“It is possible that youths feel the government is not allocating sufficient resources or implementing robust strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“There may also be a perception that the government is not effectively engaging with youth or incorporating their perspective and ideas into decision-making processes,” the survey report read.

MyHutan, an initiative under Undi18, launched the survey report earlier today.

The group gathered 1,103 responses that included weighting for four demographic characteristics – race, gender, age and state – to improve the representativeness of the survey sample.

The survey also showed a significant 83 percent of youths who responded feel anxiety for the future due to climate change risks and that climate change is an important issue for them.

More than two-thirds of the respondents, at 70 percent, also believe that protecting the environment is more important than growing the economy.

However, 60 percent of youth respondents said they would not want higher taxes to address the risks of climate change.

MyHutan said this preference against higher taxes highlights the need for effective communication and engagement on the costs, benefits and alternatives for financing climate action.

The group also urged political parties contesting in the upcoming state elections, as well as voters, to prioritise environmental policy in their manifesto.

Based on the results of the survey, MyHutan has five recommendations to suggest to the government:

• An immediate logging moratorium and a comprehensive review of logging laws to curb illegal and unsustainable logging.

• A public transport policy that covers aspects of sustainable and pedestrian-oriented urban planning.

• Fiscal policy implementation, including carbon tax instruments and the use of environmental financial instruments, especially ecological fiscal transfer instruments.

• The overhaul of agricultural sector laws and implementation of agricultural policies to empower small farmers and guarantee the country’s food security.

• The government’s commitment to generate 50 percent of energy needs in government buildings with renewable energy. - Mkini