KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Federal Territories, has proposed the establishment of a Kuala Lumpur-Shanghai Green Urban Compact to strengthen climate action and enhance cooperation between the two cities.

She said the partnership aims to formalise joint efforts in areas such as climate policy, funding, and technology sharing.

"We need each other, as climate change knows no borders. That is why partnerships like KL-Shanghai must be nurtured, structured, and sustained," she said in a speech delivered on her behalf by the director general of the FT Department, Datuk Seri Noridah Abdul Rahim, at the KL-Shanghai Climate Action Forum 2025.

She said such a framework would allow both cities to demonstrate how urban centres can act as global citizens. 

Zaliha further said climate change is no longer a distant issue confined to scientific discussions, but a lived reality for communities worldwide, marked by intensifying floods, record heatwaves, food insecurity, and air pollution.

“Urban areas account for more than 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“The choices made in cities today will determine whether the world surpasses the 1.5°C threshold tomorrow,” she said.

The 1.5°C threshold refers to a key climate target set by the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with strong efforts to cap it at 1.5°C.

She said the government had also introduced the Chase City vision, which aims to reform the federal territories in response to climate ambitions covering areas such as cleanliness, health, advanced, safe and eco-friendliness.

“Under the Chase City vision, KL is steadily advancing as a model for climate-responsive and innovation-led urban governance,” she said.

As of this year, the KL Climate Action Plan 2050 (KLCAP2050) is no longer just a document; it is being operationalised via structured implementation, coordinated agency efforts, and performance-based urban management, she said.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall developed the KLCAP2050 to transform the capital into a carbon-neutral, resilient, and inclusive city by 2050.

One of the most powerful enablers of this reform is technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI). 

“We are actively investing in AI to make our cities more predictive, efficient, and citizen-centred.

“From flood forecasting systems in high-rise zones to real-time energy consumption monitoring, AI is no longer experimental but an essential asset for enhancing city operations,” she said. 

The KLSCAF2025, proposed by the Malaysia-China Friendship Association and Shanghai Climate Week Enterprise Development Co Ltd, aims to foster cross-border climate action collaboration between Malaysia and China by bringing together industry leaders, government agencies, and innovators.

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