INTERVENTION BY

THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

G20 LEADERS’ SUMMIT 2025

SESSION 2: A RESILIENT WORLD – THE G20’S CONTRIBUTION

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION; CLIMATE CHANGE;

JUST ENERGY TRANSITIONS; FOOD SYSTEMS

22 NOVEMBER 2025, 1500 HOURS

His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa,

President of South Africa and G20 2025,

Excellencies,

Thank you, Mr President, for convening this important discussion.

Southeast Asia is one of the world’s disaster epicentres. In many years, our region accounts for around half of global disaster fatalities and more than USD4.4 billion in economic losses. Not all these events are driven by climate change, but climate stress compounds their impact and weakens recovery.

We have learnt that resilience depends on anticipatory investment. That is why our region has built one of the most active disaster-response systems in the developing world through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, or AHA Centre.

The science of climate change is crystal clear, yet global momentum is faltering. In many societies – including in the industrialised world – there is rising pushback against policies seen to raise prices and threaten jobs.

At the same time, energy demand in developing regions is growing faster than clean alternatives can be deployed. The world will continue to use fossil fuels for some time. Pretending otherwise will not help us plan responsibly.

Allow me to offer several reflections from this perspective.

First, we need a broader, multi-level approach to climate action. When global agreements stall, progress can still come from regional organisations and from coalitions of sub-national actors such as provinces, states and cities.

ASEAN’s experience shows that regional platforms can advance climate action, disaster cooperation and energy connectivity even when global processes struggle. This is the practical architecture of resilience.

Second, we must embrace technological pragmatism. If fossil fuels cannot be eliminated overnight, then we need the technologies that reduce their footprint. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), methane abatement, and industrial decarbonisation will all be essential. Malaysia is investing strongly in this direction, including the development of carbon-capture and storage hubs.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline will help smooth the integration of renewables and strengthen energy security even as we scale clean power. These are the kinds of measures that make the transition workable.

Third, we must accelerate adaptation where impacts already threaten lives and livelihoods, especially in food and water security.

Climate change has already slowed global agricultural productivity growth by more than 20 per cent since 1961. Without stronger adaptation and support for farmers, tens of millions more people could face hunger by 2050. Scaling climate-smart agriculture, expanding early-warning networks and supporting smallholders will be essential to stability in many regions.

Malaysia will work with all partners – global, regional and local – to advance a climate strategy that is ambitious yet grounded in the realities our people face. To sustain these efforts at scale, international climate finance must be accessible, predictable and aligned with the needs of developing regions. Only then can we secure livelihoods and advance shared prosperity.

Thank you.