Old EV batteries could power rural clinics and villages, Nga Kor Ming tells COP31

A rechargeable battery for an electric scooter is seen being swapped out. The battery runs on Lithium-Ion and can also be used as energy storage. Malaysia’s Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming pitched a second life for retired EV batteries at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye on November 10, 2026. — Unsplash pic

First Published: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 9:18 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Malaysia has proposed repurposing retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries into energy storage systems to provide a reliable electricity supply to rural communities, indigenous settlements and healthcare facilities, ensuring that the benefits of the circular economy also reach underserved communities.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the proposal, known as the “Circular Equity Dividend”, was among three solutions put forward by Malaysia to accelerate urban circularity globally and advance the zero-waste agenda.

Speaking at the Malaysia Pavilion TED Talk session themed “Closing the Loop: Malaysia’s Journey Towards Zero Waste” at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkiye, he said the initiative aimed to ensure that the benefits of circularity were distributed more equitably, particularly among underserved communities.

“Malaysia’s Circular Economy Blueprint for Solid Waste 2025-2035 sets national targets of achieving a 40 per cent recycling rate and diverting 53 per cent of waste from landfills by 2035, supported by initiatives such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Separation at Source (SAS) and pilot Zero Waste Districts in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

“In 2024, Malaysia generated 14.5 million tonnes of municipal solid waste, with food waste accounting for 44.5 per cent and plastics 13.2 per cent, while more than RM2 billion is spent annually on waste management,” he said in a statement issued by the ministry.

Nga said the other two proposals focused on positioning cities as “Material Banks” through mandatory Digital Material Passports, which would track the composition, lifecycle, and reuse potential of materials used in industrial products and infrastructure.

The system would enable valuable resources such as lithium and copper to be recovered and reused rather than discarded.

The second proposal involved replacing conventional landfill tipping fees with Performance-Linked Circular Grants and Municipal Transition Bonds, through which local authorities would receive financial incentives based on measurable environmental outcomes, including recycling rates, landfill diversion and methane reduction.

Drawing on Malaysia’s experience with the “Traffic Light System”, which has been implemented across all 156 local authorities, he said performance-based financing could encourage local councils to invest in recycling facilities, decentralised biodigesters, composting, and other sustainable waste management solutions.

Apart from the TED Talk session, Nga, who is also president of the UN-Habitat Assembly, is scheduled to participate in two panel discussions, namely “Future Fit Cities: Nature, Resilience and Innovation: Shaping the Cities of Tomorrow” and “Zero Waste: From Waste to Watts: Steps to Scale Zero Waste for Climate-Resilient Cities and Energy Security”.

He is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with international counterparts and strategic partners to strengthen cooperation in sustainable urban development and the circular economy.

Taking place from November 9 to 20, COP31 brings together world leaders, ministers, senior government representatives, intergovernmental and multilateral organisations, civil society groups, climate adaptation practitioners, and youth advocates to advance global cooperation on climate action. — Bernama