First World Countries Biggest Contributors To Climate Change - M'sian Minister

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah, Malaysia) March 28 (Bernama) -- Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun today blamed first world countries for global warming. He said some of the first world countries have been very vocal on climate change issues, but were not doing anything to address the problem. "Small countries always end up as scapegoats for global problems, including climate change, deforestation, everything! The best way to look at it is to look at the statistics and third world countries are not the biggest contributors of carbon gas emissions," he said when met by reporters at a seminar on climate change and community development here. Masidi also expressed disappointment that there were bigger nations who refused to partake in the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty which imposes commitment by all countries to reduce man-made carbon emissions. However, he said not all major contributors of carbon emissions took a back-seat in addressing global warming such as China. He commended China for taking positive steps to reduce its carbon emissions by making large investments in renewable energy development. Masidi also said governments needed to have strong political will to implement their policies on climate change. He stressed that administrators of all nations, including Malaysia, must be serious in addressing the problem and make the right decisions, rather than what was 'popular'. "Whatever is considered popular is fleeting in nature. It doesn't even last. But if we do something that is good, what is right today, I think the biggest beneficiaries would be the future generations," he said. -- BERNAMA