Abstract
Iskandar Malaysia, an urban region consisting of three (3) districts and falling under the jurisdiction of five (5) local authority bodies, is at the forefront of Malaysia’s effort to combat climate change. In line with Malaysia’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity of GDP by 45 % by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and the goal set forth in the Twelfth Malaysia Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Iskandar Malaysia must intensify its effort to maximize emission reductions across all sectors. This paper aims to project GHG emissions for the five (5) local authorities up to 2050, accounting for existing initiatives, while also investigating alternative decarbonization pathways through the Extended Snapshot (ExSS) model. Two scenarios were developed: Scenario 1 (S1) reflects Business as Usual (BAU) and Scenario 2 (S2) illustrates Counter Measure (CM). The modelling results reveal a significant potential for reducing GHG emissions by 9,870 kt CO2-eq by 2030 (equivalent to 71 % reduction in emission intensity of GDP compared to the 2010 levels). Among the various emission sectors, transportation, industry, and commercial activities emerge as key areas with high mitigation potential. Each of the five (5) local authorities in Iskandar Malaysia presents different sets of sectoral potentials and challenges regarding their contributions to the region's overall GHG emission reduction. Effective cross-authority coordination is essential to address diverse challenges and maximize emission reduction efforts across the region.
