Kian-Ming Ong’s Post

Did double duty as a moderator and presenter at "The Road to Belém: Accelerating Climate Action in Sarawak" conference that was organized by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Sarawak on the 7th and 8th of October 2025. My panel discussion was entitled "Accelerating climate action – Delivering on net zero and the Road to Belém at COP30" featuring H.E. Daniella Ortega Menezes, Ambassador of Brazil to Malaysia and Brunei, Embassy of Brazil; Datuk Dr Ching Thoo, Secretary General, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Malaysia; Alongkorn Ponlaboot, Advisory Board Chairman to the Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Government of Thailand; Taisei Matsuki, Senior Climate Change Specialist, World Bank. We covered a number of topics including President Lula's decision to host COP30 in Belém, Brazil's gateway city to the Amazon, the “Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)” proposal, and the introduction of a Climate Change Act in Malaysia and Thailand. The event was graced by The Right Honourable Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Premier of Sarawak who gave a masterful overview of his government's carbon and energy policies, without referring to any notes. I gave a presentation to a smaller group the following day, entitled "Trade, Investments & Human Capital Development in Sarawak" where I examined recent population & labor force trends in the state and highlighted the challenges & opportunities with regards to human capital development that needed to be aligned with the "green economy" thrust of the Sarawak government. Many thanks to the coordinating team at PwC Malaysia for their curation of this event and for inviting me (Patrick Tay, Beatrice Chng, Nauwar Shukri, Marina Che Mokhtar). Glad to have meet some members of the PWC Malaysia team who are based in Kuching including Chen Hau Wong and his colleagues. The higher value-added service economy will surely grow as the jobs opportunities associated with the "green economy" increases over time. Grateful to the friendly staff at Place Borneo Sdn Bhd for all the logistical arrangements.