Speaking at the Climate Finance Forum in Kuala Lumpur in early August, the professor of political economy at Malaya Edmond Terring Gomez said that countries play a major role in facilitating the exploitation of land and continuous resources through joint projects with major economic powers, especially China and the United States.

“Governments want these direct foreign investments. But when they come, they are at the expense of the environment,” he said in a conversation from the climate and the guarantee of property rights for the south.

Gomez said that large economic institutions from China and the United States are investing abroad in emerging sectors such as green movement, data and artificial intelligence centers (AI), in ways that often affect environmental health in developing countries.

China, for example, launched Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, a huge infrastructure and investment program that extends over dozens of countries in Asia was largely implemented through state -owned companies (Soes). These state -owned companies benefit from state support to negotiate profitable investment deals in resource -rich economies, such as Malaysia.

“The country is very strong, and it can use its control over these state -owned companies to enter negotiations with developing countries that also have state -owned institutions or subject governments,” Gomez said.

One of the prominent examples is Communications Constation Company (CCCC), the main Soe associated with BRI, which has participated in large infrastructure deals in Malaysia.

CCCC is the main contractor of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), the largest BRI project in Malaysia, which extends 665 km. The railway, which is currently being constructed, will connect the states on the eastern coast of the Malaysia Peninsula in the most populated Valley of Claang on the western coast. However, this project crosses the main river systems and It penetrates around 357 hectares of protected forests Which is home to endangered wildlife such as elephants, millions tapers and tigers.

Meanwhile, American asset managers such as Blackrock are also investing in Southeast Asia sectors such as artificial intelligence, data centers, infrastructure, transport and aviation. In Malaysia, Blackrock concluded a deal with the airports of Malaysia Holdendes Berhad (MAHB) in May 2024, which runs the main Kuala Lumpur Airport and others throughout the country. It also formed a joint project with the Nacional Berhad treasury, the sovereign wealth fund in Malaysia, to explore the infrastructure and digital investments of the economy.

He said: “Blackrock knows who should work with it. They go to obtain strong sovereign wealth funds, enter joint projects, and cut deals and moves,” adding that it is foreign infiltration that only led to the use of lands and resources in developing countries, but the governments of the local states themselves that facilitate access.

Gomez called on the Malaysians to hold federal governments accountable and state governments for the problematic development projects driven by foreign direct investment, especially those that threaten the well -being of the environment and societies that depend on it for a living.

He said that many of these investments revolve either the heavy energy industries or renewable energy sources that require extracting critical minerals through mining in protected forests.

An example is the Equatorial island The new capital in IndonesiaNusantara.

Gomez pointed out that the proposed developments in Calmanan, including highways, dams and residential complexes, can seriously Exacerbation of climate risks For the region since the Bornene rated forests is one of the largest forests in the world, rich in carbon storage capacity and biological diversity.

While the infrastructure, economic development and the creation of all job opportunities are important, it has stressed that it must be done without violating the environment, which will require deep thinking about the policies that are created and implemented.

He said: “This includes determining how we want to organize these development processes in a safe way. I do not think that we went to this discussion enough.”

Although talks on climate justice are usually developed countries against developing, Timo Ghosman, Vice -President of the European Union delegation (European Union) to Malaysia, said he does not believe in the separation of the powerful bloc authoritiesyour From developed countries and another homogeneous bloc from developing countries.

“I think this is not a correct description of the world in which we live,” he said in the same committee.

While he acknowledged that the lack of climate financing is an issue for the global southern countries, giving power to institutions is how the European Union has organized political operations in its region to find meaningful solutions.

GooSmann added that the institutions are the key to saving energy and driving needed to push the change in the climate space, and that they should be allowed to act accordingly.

He said: “The principle of common but distinct responsibilities is decades, so there is a lot on the table that turns into a reality. (We need) giving power to institutions and the room to do what they are supposed to do.”

However, Gomez asked about the ability of these institutions to act freely and fairly without the influence of foreign governments on decision -making operations.

“Is there a relationship of length of weapons between the executive arm of the government and these institutions? The government’s executive arm may want to do things in a certain way, but these institutions, especially if government institutions may not have the ability to act independently.”

He emphasized that the leaders of Asian should use their control over their lands and resources when the amazing deal with strong economies and be selective of how they open the decisive entry points for foreign institutions – by drawing a high line between environmental protection and attracting foreign investment is crucial to ASEAN.

“Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic areas for growth. We control important resources. We control the land they need (China and the United States) to build their industries, whether it is electric cars, artificial intelligence or semiconductors.”

In the case of Borneo, Gomez said, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia should unite in the island collectively, taking into account the greatest good instead of signing bilateral agreements with advanced economies that can weaken its position and the region as a whole.

GooSmann said that in the era of current geopolitical turmoil, public funds are not sufficient to finance climate transmission through emerging economies. Instead, there is a greater need for a smart link between political and economic partnerships and implementation through smart climate work.

“It is a very complex field, but it is very necessary, and we need to accelerate these operations,” he said.