Nga Kor Ming: Malaysia calls for better access to climate financing for secondary, intermediary cities at COP31

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Malaysia has called for better access to climate financing for secondary and intermediary cities, alongside greater investment in resilient housing to protect vulnerable communities from floods, the urban heat island effect and other climate threats.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said in a statement today that these cities continue to face barriers to accessing direct concessional financing and project preparation support.

To bridge the gap, Nga who is also president of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly outlined four priorities, namely reducing municipal investment risks, empowering local authorities to structure bankable and shovel-ready projects, protecting vulnerable communities and mobilising innovative capital.

“We must empower local authorities to develop bankable, implementation-ready projects, while scaling up informal settlement upgrading and climate-proof social housing,” he said.

According to the statement, Nga stressed this at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) Leaders’ Summit High-Level Dialogue on Urban Resilience, Adaptation and Climate Action in Antalya, Turkiye, today.

Nga also expressed strong support for Turkiye’s Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility (SURFF), urging international financial institutions to scale up the initiative.

Sharing Malaysia’s experience, Nga highlighted the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s efforts to translate national climate ambitions into tangible improvements for communities.

These include developing multipurpose sponge parks that absorb monsoon flash floods while providing green public spaces, as well as retrofitting social housing with rooftop solar installations and green features.

He said climate-proof social housing must protect vulnerable communities and remain accessible to those who need it most.

“Adaptation is not a cost; it is our baseline for survival. From the UN-Habitat Assembly to Malaysia, our message is clear that is let Antalya be the summit where promises turn into practice, policies turn into protection and ambition becomes action.

“The world no longer needs more rhetoric. What we need is to act to avert devastation, to accelerate immediate implementation and to achieve lasting urban transformation,” he said.

He also urged leaders to back national climate commitments with financing and implementation at the local level, ensuring that global ambitions deliver meaningful protection for communities. — Bernama