Malaysia Urges Community Climate Action at COP31
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming called for stronger community-level climate action at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkiye.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in City Hall
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Malaysian Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming called for stronger community-level climate action at COP31, which runs from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Turkiye. He proposed a Direct-to-Community Urban Climate Facility that would channel at least 20% of multilateral urban climate funding to local governments and informal settlements.
Why it matters
UN-Habitat's review of NDC 3.0 found that 69% of national climate commitments address urban housing, yet funding often fails to reach the communities most exposed to climate risk. More than 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements and vulnerable communities worldwide.
UN-Habitat's review of NDC 3.0 found 69% of national climate commitments address urban housing, while over 1.1 billion people live in informal settlements worldwide. Whether the proposed 20% funding floor for local communities will be adopted at COP31 remains unresolved.
The players
Nga Kor Ming
Nga Kor Ming is Malaysia's Housing and Local Government Minister and leads the country's delegation at COP31.
COP31
COP31 is the 31st annual United Nations climate change conference, held in Antalya, Turkiye, in November 2026.
The details
Nga Kor Ming pointed to Malaysia's Separation at Source initiative, which encourages households and communities to take responsibility for waste management. Malaysian families and communities collected more than 27,600kg of used cooking oil in a single day last year, which is converted into sustainable aviation fuel and green energy.
Timeline
Last year: Malaysian communities collected more than 27,600kg of used cooking oil in one day.
November 9-20: COP31 takes place in Antalya, Turkiye.
Political Context
Nga's proposal pushes back on the national-commitment framework by arguing that UN-Habitat's finding that 69% of NDC 3.0 commitments address urban housing has not translated into funding for local governments and informal settlements. Critics of top-down climate finance are likely to press for direct-to-community mechanisms of this kind.
Local governments and informal settlement residents may see new climate funding channels if the proposed 20% floor is adopted at COP31. Households can already participate in community waste programs such as Malaysia's Separation at Source initiative.
The takeaway
Climate funding tends to reach communities only when it is directed to them explicitly, so watch whether COP31 commits to a specific local share. Residents can start by taking part in household waste separation programs in their own area.
Further reading
Follow local government debates on City Hall coverage for more context on how municipal authorities shape climate policy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Star.
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