KUALA LUMPUR: The government will launch the National Energy Policy as a guide for the development of Malaysia’s energy sector, particularly as the industry transitions to a low-carbon future, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said on Thursday.

       He said the COVID-19 pandemic gave the energy industry an opportunity to implement major changes and embrace sustainability by adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) sector despite being hit hard by the pandemic.

       "Globally, demand for ESG funds rose 29 per cent to nearly US$1.7 trillion in the last quarter of 2020," he said in his keynote address during the first series of National OGSE Sustainability Forum held virtually today. - Bernama