Westports Malaysia, Climate Change Assessment
Westports Holdings Berhad, which operates Westports at Pulau Indah, Port Klang, Malaysia, commissioned a comprehensive climate risk assessment conducted by DHI Water and Environment in 2021 (DHI, 2022). The assessment findings were published in Westports' 2022 Climate Change Assessment Report. The assessment identified sea level rise as a high-risk event projected to occur towards 2080, with flooding and heavy rainfall categorized as moderate risk events based on climate projection models for the Strait of Malacca region.
The climate assessment analyzed Westports' vulnerability to sea level rise, projecting a rise of 0.47 to 0.65 meters by 2080 at the central and 83 percent confidence levels. A critical finding was that if sea levels rise above the height of the port's wharf structures, portions of the facility could become submerged (The Edge Malaysia, 2023). In a 2023 interview, Westports management said that, after assessing potential sea level rise over the next 60 years, it considered its current wharf height able to withstand that impact (The Edge Malaysia, 2023). This should not be read as a blanket safety conclusion: the consultant's technical assessment rated sea level rise impacts on the container and bulk berths as high risk (DHI, 2022). Westports states that its climate assessment informs infrastructure design, financial planning and adaptation strategies.
Westports' climate risk management strategy extends beyond physical adaptation to include transition risk mitigation through decarbonization initiatives (Westports, 2026). The port has installed solar panels that supply part of its electricity and aims to achieve net zero Scope 1 emissions by 2050.
This dual approach, combining physical adaptation with transition planning for low carbon operations, reflects an integrated understanding of climate risks. The port's governance structure incorporates climate risk assessment findings into strategic planning, with the Board's Risk Management Committee and Sustainability Committee assessing climate-related risks and decarbonization initiatives.
The assessment also found that the existing stormwater drainage network may not have sufficient capacity for more intense rainfall combined with higher sea levels, and rated this a moderate risk.
Transferability
Westports shows how a Southeast Asian port can commission an independent climate risk assessment that rates specific assets, such as berths and drainage, by risk level. DMC ports can do the same to test whether wharf heights and stormwater systems will cope with projected sea level rise and heavier rainfall. Findings should be reported in full: a management view that current wharf height is adequate sat alongside a consultant rating of high risk for the berths. Giving board risk and sustainability committees oversight of the results links physical adaptation with transition planning.
Sources
All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.
- DHI Water & Environment (M) Sdn. Bhd. 2022. Westports Climate Change Assessment: Evaluation of Climatic Changes and Initial Vulnerability Assessment. Final Report prepared for Westports Holdings Berhad. \ (opens in new tab)
- The Edge Malaysia. 2023. Cover Story: Ready or not, here comes climate change. The Edge Malaysia Weekly, 20 to 26 February 2023. (opens in new tab)
- Westports Holdings Berhad. 2026. Sustainability Report 2025 (including Physical Climate Risk Assessment, Quantification and Climate Disclosure by ERM). (opens in new tab)