‘Beyond the Classrooms LIVE@UTB Webinar Series’ concluded with a fourth session entitled Climate Action NOW!: Brunei National Climate Change Policy. This final session was co-organised by Tri-CEd and Brunei Climate Change Secretariat aimed to share valuable information on how the world and specifically Brunei intends to tackle this impending disaster.
Around seventy participants gained insights on climate change delivered by Dayang Noor Dina Zharina Yahya, Head of Brunei Climate Change Secretariat (BCCS).
In the session, the Head of BCCS shared a statement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in which they declared the year 2018, 2019, and 2020 were the warmest three years ever recorded and she finds it quite alarming. She stressed that transformational change is needed to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees celsius, Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030 and the world must reach net zero emissions by 2050.
As for the climate change impacts on Brunei, the country may be one of the least to contribute to global warming, yet it is impacted by landslide, floods and forest fire. She also stated that the country’s mean temperature has shown an increasing trend of 0.25 degrees celsius per decade.
Dayang Noor Dina mentioned that climate change issues should be addressed in a whole-of-nation approach which resulted in the development of the Brunei National Climate Policy (BNCP) that outlines the principles, values, and strategies needed to pave the way for low carbon and climate-resilient pathways for a sustainable nation.
Towards this, ten key strategies were identified and need to be achieved in line with Wawasan Brunei 2035 and cover areas pertaining to industrial emissions, forest cover, electric vehicles, renewable energy, power management, carbon pricing, waste management, carbon inventory, climate resilience and adaptation, and, awareness and education.
