A majority from the group also wants the govt to support this global target 

By TMR / Pic credit: cleanmalaysia.com

SOME 96% out of 1,000 Malaysians expressed support for a global target to protect at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030. 

The survey, commissioned by Malaysia’s Atri Advisory and supported by Amanah Lestari Alam (Alam), also revealed that 84% wants Malaysia as a country to also support the global target. 

Conducted over three days in February, the poll is the first-ever to measure public opinion in Malaysia on the global 30×30 goal in the lead up to a major biodiversity summit later this year in Kunming, China. 

At the summit, 190 countries — including Malaysia — are expected to finalise and approve a global strategy, known as the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, designed to stave off a biodiversity crisis that threatens up to one million species with extinction in the coming decades. 

The opinion poll also found that 96% of Malaysians were either extremely or very concerned about the biodiversity crisis. 

This survey, part of an online poll of more than 3,000 people living in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, found that 96% in Malaysia, 98% in Indonesia and 95% in the Philippines supported the “30×30” nature protection goal. 

Commenting on this meaningful initiative, Alam’s board of trustees said the survey reflects the staggering support of citizens in the region for their governments to endorse the proposal to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 and to take urgent steps to halt biodiversity loss. 

To do otherwise is not an option. It will be a win-win for the nation if leaders and policymakers consider favourably the voice of the people and join the rest of the world in this crucial effort, Atri Advisory and Science Advisor to the Campaign for Nature chairman Tan Sri Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid said in a statement. 

Alam chairman Datuk Ali Abdul Kadir said the poll shows not only how broadly popular the 30×30 target is, but how important nature conservation is for younger generations in particular. 

“We know what is at stake, our future. We look forward to seeing support from the highest level in Malaysia on this key global proposal and act with the urgency that youth across our country know is necessary. 

“We cannot hope to improve human health without simultaneously addressing the health of the planet. As youth play a significant role in being the change that we seek in conserving nature, this ballot demonstrates the call for the country leaders to take action in the interest of our humanity and planetary health,” Alam’s board of trustee Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood said.