COP-20: No Room For Complacency On Haze, Invest In Better Technologies – Johari

LANGKAWI, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must boost investments in early detection and warning technologies to better manage transboundary haze and other environmental threats, said Acting Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

Johari said there is no room for complacency, adding that stronger funding and collaboration are needed to enhance the region’s technological capabilities in identifying and responding to environmental risks before they escalate.

“There’s no complacency. Except that I think there’s a lot of investment needed in technology, especially early detection and early warning systems, so we can address it quickly. For example, we have systems to identify hotspots before they escalate. 

“So these are issues that we always highlight. But of course, I think it's a question of funding. Some countries can spend the money and some countries think that they need to spend it on other things,” he told reporters after the 20th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP-20) to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP), here today.

Johari said during the meeting, Malaysia was appointed to lead two sub-committees for the next two years, one focused on nature conservation and biodiversity and the other on chemicals and waste.

"The Philippines will lead the coastal and marine environment sub-committee, Laos will head water resources, Cambodia will take environmental and sustainable cities, while Singapore and Thailand will jointly lead the climate change committee, allowing every state to head a sub-committee," he said. 

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Johari urged the region to strengthen cooperation and sustain political will to effectively tackle this recurring challenge, which continues to affect ASEAN despite progress made since the agreement was adopted in 2002.

He stressed that the urgency of their work could not be overstated, warning that even in years with less severe haze, complacency is not an option, as the fires and haze episodes of 1997, 2006, 2015, and 2023 stand as stark reminders of the scale of the challenge.

“Malaysia experienced transboundary haze incidents in July 2025, which serves as a reminder that despite the progress achieved, our task is far from complete,” he said.

Johari added that achieving a haze-free ASEAN by 2030 aligns with the region’s environmental commitments and global climate goals under the Paris Agreement, particularly in emission reduction, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.

He also called upon ASEAN member states to strengthen collaboration with dialogue partners, development agencies, and international institutions in areas such as prevention, early warning, mitigation and capacity-building.

The next COP-21 meeting will be held in Vietnam in 2026, while Myanmar will host AMME-19 and COP-22 in 2027.

-- BERNAMA