Malaysia has pushed its planned carbon tax beyond 2026. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said the delay gives the government room to finalize the National Carbon Market Policy and pass the Climate Change Act before any emission caps take effect. The tax would then apply as a penalty for emissions above the ceiling, not as a flat charge on all emitters. The same announcement tightens enforcement on industrial air pollution. The Clean Air Regulations set a 600 mg per cubic meter limit since 2014, but factories have received exemptions. Those exemptions end by January next year unless operators show clear steps toward compliance, with 2030 as the final deadline. The ministry says the technology is available and that the timeline supports Malaysia's net zero by 2050 target.
