The risks of biodiversity loss and climate change are confronting businesses in various ways. As such, it is important for leaders to understand how to establish necessary shifts and make their organisations more resilient and agile. Over the last months, Prof. Reuben was approached by the World Bank Group and Climate Governance Malaysia, the Malaysian Chapter of World Economic Forum on Climate Governance, to educate the finance sector on forest and biodiversity conservation issues.

In September, PricewaterhouseCoopers invited Prof. Gopalasamy Reuben Clements from the School of Medical and Life Sciences and the Jeffrey Sachs Center to join a panel discussion on how biodiversity loss and climate change impact businesses and how they can help address these issues in order to achieve SDGs such as Goal 13 – Climate Action.

Several of Malaysia’s threatened species, including the Malayan tiger, are threatened by poaching. Early this year, Sunway University was awarded a USD25,000 grant by the US-based NGO Panthera to conduct research to better understand how Vietnamese communities in Malaysia are involved in the illegal wildlife trade.

Prof. Gopalasamy Reuben Clements from the School of Medical and Life Sciences and JSC made a courtesy visit to the Vietnam Ambassador, His Excellency Prof. Dr. Tran Viet Thai, to share some preliminary research findings and explore how issues related to the poaching of threatened species can be tackled - this is vital if want to achieve SDG Goal 15 (Life On Land).

Research Impact

Malaysia’s National Policy on Biodiversity (NPBD) on Biological Diversity (2016-2025) aims to have have at least 20% of terrestrial areas and inland waters, and 10% of coastal and marine areas, conserved through a representative system of protected areas by 2025. To date, only 3% of marine areas are protected. One island of the coast of Terengganu, Pulau Rhu, was found to be an important refuge for both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, remains unprotected.

Prof. Gopalasamy Reuben Clements from the School of Medical and Life Sciences and the Jeffrey Sachs Center was invited by the Terengganu State Parks Management Council to present research findings to support the gazettement of this island as a protected area - this is vital if want to achieve Target 6 of the NPBD and SDG Goals 14 and 15 (Life Below Water and Life On Land).