Earth Matters

Organised by the Biji Alam Conservation Society, the Biji Alam Awards for Nature Conservation represent a groundbreaking initiative to honour and empower mid-career Malaysian conservationists who dedicate their lives to protecting nature, often with little recognition or support. Founded by a passionate team of environmentalists and experts, the awards aim to address the challenges faced by these unsung heroes, and by celebrating their efforts and providing both financial aid and visibility, the awards hope to inspire local support and foster confidence in conservation initiatives. We speak to Biji Alam’s co-founders, Natalie Yong, an ex-financier and charity trustee, and Dr Teckwyn Lim, a senior conservationist, natural resource consultant, and part-time lecturer at the University of Nottingham, to find out all about their vision for the award and organisation, and also their hopes for reshaping the narrative around Malaysia’s vital conservation efforts.

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For decades, PACOS Trust - Partners of Community Organisations in Sabah - has been at the forefront of supporting Sabah’s indigenous communities, helping them protect their heritage, land, and resources. By fostering local leadership, promoting collaboration, and championing land rights, PACOS works hand-in-hand with grassroots organisations across 14 districts and 23 areas, to create sustainable change. Through training, advocacy, and collaboration, PACOS ensures that indigenous voices are central to discussions about development and environmental stewardship. We speak to Anne Lasimbang, the Executive Director of PACOS Trust, and Gordon John Thomas, the Programme Coordinator at PACOS Trust, to find out more about this organisation's work, and how they are collaborating with indigenous communities, enabling them to reclaim their voice and protect what matters most.

Image credit: GJT @ PACOS Trust

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We are at the end of 2024 – again, it’s been quite a year for the planet, and we take a look back at some of the top news covered by environmental journalism portal Macaranga with co-founders, Wong Siew Lyn and Law Yao Hua. We discuss how carbon emissions are still rising, and how forest conservation (or the lack thereof) is playing a part in that, before we turn our attention to mangrove conservation in Malaysia. We then discuss how Malaysia’s newly-identified Important Shark and Ray Areas (ISRAs) are a win for conservation and citizen science, before examining how the illegal wildlife trade is thriving, boosted by online trading, and in spite of conservation methods such legalising the breeding and trade of certain species. Finally, how is global warming exacerbating existing environmental challenges like flooding and coral bleaching? We discuss all this and more.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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Macaranga's latest article “Banking on River Reserves to Protect Water Supply” explores Selangor's urgent measures to safeguard its water resources amid recurring pollution-related water cuts. We discuss how the state plans to gazette river reserves and enforce stricter regulations to address these issues, and how they could possibly counter challenges such as private land ownership, inter-agency coordination, and the protection of upstream ecosystems. We also look at community-driven conservation efforts, industry accountability, and the importance of holistic water basin management for sustainable water security. Joining us are journalist Chen Yih Wen, Macaranga co-founder Law Yao Hua, and Kennedy Michael, co-founder of Alliance of River Three (ART!)

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Mariani Ramli and her team at the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS) of Malaysia have dedicated over a decade to rescuing and rehabilitating gibbons, with the ultimate goal of returning these magnificent apes to their natural habitat. We catch up with Bam as she is fondly known, who is the Founder and President of GCS, to revisit the incredible story of these amazing but underprotected primates, and how the team are tirelessly working on their conservation. We'll also get updates on baby Axel - the first baby gibbon born in captivity at the centre to rescued gibbons Ebony and Coley - and discuss how the family are on the brink of being  released back into the wild, and what's needed to get them there.

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Ahead of World Soil Day, we’re digging deep into the importance of soil health, and how it underpins life on Earth. We learn how composting can transform waste into a resource, protect ecosystems, and contribute to a sustainable future from Harbir Gill, a soil enthusiast and founder of Ground Control, which is part of the Text Cycle Group.

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Delegates from 175 countries met at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee - INC-5 - to develop a historic and international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. Debates centered on reducing plastic production and managing waste, but did resistance from fossil fuel-producing nations stall progress? We find out what happened at this critical meeting from Wong Pui Yi, a Research Consultant with the Basel Action Network, and Mageswari Sangaralingam, an Honorary Secretary from Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Chief Executive at the Consumers’ Association of Penang, who were both at the talks in Busan.

Image credit: Seunghyeok Choi / Break Free From Plastic, Uproot Plastic Coalition

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Delegates from 175 countries met at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee - INC-5 - to develop a historic and international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. Debates centered on reducing plastic production and managing waste, but did resistance from fossil fuel-producing nations stall progress? We find out what happened at this critical meeting from Wong Pui Yi, a Research Consultant at Basel Action Network, and Mageswari Sangaralingam, an Honorary Secretary from Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Chief Executive at the Consumers’ Association of Penang, who were both at the talks in Busan.

Image credit: Seunghyeok Choi / Break Free From Plastic, Uproot Plastic Coalition

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Back from Baku, Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Head of Programmes at the Third World Network, fills us in on what went down at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP29 - which finished more than 35 hours in overtime, but still left many delegates unhappy, especially from the developing nations. We discuss the outcomes related to climate finance, especially how the decision to adopt a new collective quantified goal on finance was bulldozed through at the closing plenary of COP29, despite a lack of consensus. We also discuss outcomes related to fossil fuel transition and Global Stocktake, COP29’s presidency and governance, and also the broader challenges that remain, as we look forward to COP30 in Brazil in 2025.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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In this round-up of top environmental news from the month past, we first look back at the major outcomes of COP29 involving climate financing, then at how two cities in Malaysia were ranked globally for their efforts to combat the effects of climate change through the One Planet City Challenge by WWF. Finally we wonder how Ecological Fiscal Transfers in Malaysia actually work, and how and to whom the funds are disbursed. Joining us as always are the co-founders of environmental journalism portal Macaranga, Law Yao Hua and Wong Siew Lyn.

Image credits: Shutterstock, WWF, Ministry of Finance (mof.gov.my)

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