Most concerning environmental issues in Malaysia 2019

According to a survey conducted by Ipsos on the most concerning environmental issues in Malaysia as of March 2019, 45 percent of respondents stated that global warming or climate change was the leading environmental concern. There is a relatively high awareness of the topic in the country and some people have adjusted their lifestyles to mitigate the effect of climate change.

 Climate change awareness in Malaysia

Malaysia is among many other countries worldwide that believe in the existence and threat of climate change. As a peninsular country, the impact of climate change could also pose a serious threat to those living in coastal communities due to the rise of sea level and tidal inundation, among others. A recent survey on climate change revealed that 82 percent of the population in the country believed that the average global temperature would increase in 2020. In addition, another survey reported that some Malaysians found that climate change was one of the most worrying issues in their country.

 Mitigation and adaptation 

    Apart from government policies to combat climate change, Malaysian consumers seemed to be well informed about how to mitigate and adapt to climate change. A recent survey on climate change and consumer behavior conducted in Malaysia revealed that most people have made changes to their consumer behavior out of concern about climate change. The adaptations made by Malaysian consumers due to climate change included changes to their water usage and getting into the habit of recycling, to name a few.