Malaysia’s BTR1 and a new role for the built environment
By Zahiruddin Fitri Abu Hassan
On 6 May 2025, Malaysia launched its First Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), reaffirming its commitment to measurable and transparent climate action. For the first time, Malaysia has laid out a national emissions inventory, mitigation strategies, and progress indicators aligned with the Paris Agreement. Among the key strategies highlighted in the report is the country’s focus on carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)—a technology pathway that could play a pivotal role in reducing emissions from heavy industries, power generation, and the built environment.
Just weeks before the report’s release, on 25 March 2025, Malaysia enacted the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Bill 2025 (CCUS Act). This law provides the country’s first comprehensive legal framework to regulate the capture, transport, use, and permanent storage of CO₂. Together, BTR1 and the CCUS Act signal a turning point in Malaysia’s climate ambition. But policy is only one part of the equation. For researchers and practitioners alike, they also represent a green light for deeper experimentation, commercialisation, and cross-sector collaboration. Policies create the structure, but real change comes through grounded, innovative implementation—and that is where our research aims to contribute.
Our mineral carbonation research
At Universiti Malaya, our multidisciplinary research group is working on a project titled Mineral Carbonation for Carbon Capture and Utilization in Malaysian Basalt Formation and Concrete. The goal: capture carbon dioxide, mineralise it using basalt, and integrate the resulting material into concrete products.
Our project is structured in three phases:
Work Package 1, led by Dr Hijaz Kamal Hasnan, evaluates the mineral potential of Malaysian basalt, particularly from Segamat, to absorb CO₂. These volcanic rocks are rich in calcium, magnesium and iron silicates—minerals that naturally react with CO₂ to form stable carbonates. Field surveys, XRD analysis, and SEM imaging confirm the rock’s suitability for long-term CO₂ binding.
Work Package 2 involves the construction of a custom-designed reactor chamber led by Dr Muhd Ridha Muhamad, that allows us to optimise carbonation conditions like pressure, temperature and mixing rate, thereby accelerating what would otherwise be a slow geological process.
Work Package 3, which I lead, focuses on using this carbonated basalt to produce concrete. Using the carbonated basalt from earlier phases, we develop prototype concrete materials. These include both aggregates and partial cement substitutes. Our focus is currently on non-structural applications such as pedestrian pavers, kerbs, and retaining wall units.
The result is a dual benefit: carbon is removed from the atmosphere and embedded into construction materials—offering a potential carbon sink that scales with infrastructure development.
Why concrete matters for climate
Cement, the key ingredient in concrete, is responsible for up to 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Every tonne of cement produces roughly a tonne of carbon dioxide. But what if the concrete that we use could store carbon instead?
Through mineral carbonation, captured CO₂ reacts with reactive minerals in basalt to form stable carbonates. When incorporated into concrete, this carbon remains locked in the material for decades—possibly centuries. Even better, when we use carbonated basalt as a cement replacement, we cut emissions from clinker production—the most carbon-intensive part of cement manufacturing. It’s a win-win: less carbon in the air, and less energy in the mix.
Linking local resources to global goals
Malaysia is rich in basalt and industrial by-products like fly ash and slag, which can be repurposed for carbonation. Our approach uses locally available materials and existing production methods, offering a scalable, low-cost solution. Our research speaks directly to the aspirations outlined in BTR1: reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors, advancing circular economy models, and developing domestic CCUS capacity. With the legal framework of the CCUS Act now in place and national targets clearly defined in BTR1, the groundwork has been laid for research like ours to transition into pilot implementation—and eventually, industry uptake. Importantly, it gives the construction sector—often seen as a climate laggard—a tangible way to contribute to national emissions reduction.
Looking ahead
This August, Malaysia will host the APAC CCUS Conference and Exhibition (26–27 August, Kuala Lumpur)—a major regional gathering for carbon capture experts, policymakers, and technology developers. We hope to contribute to the conversation not only as researchers, but as part of Malaysia’s broader climate transition story. Because in this new era of climate responsibility, even the most ordinary materials—like stone and concrete—can be agents of extraordinary change.
Sr Dr. Zahiruddin Fitri Abu Hassan is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Building Surveying, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaya.