Factors influencing Malaysian environmental NGOs participation in climate governance: A DEMATEL-Base analysis

Climate change has become the primary constraint on sustainable development and environmental governance in Malaysia. Although environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) are widely mobilized as a link between government and society, their effective participation in climate governance remains constrained by multiple factors. Moreover, the causal relationships between participation mechanisms and key influencing factors remain unclear. Based on a literature review and expert assessment, this study constructs 16 key factors across four dimensions: institutions and policies, organizational governance and capacity, collaborative networks and legitimacy, and participation mechanisms. A DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) analysis of scores from nine cross-sectoral experts was conducted to calculate causal relationships and the degree of impact. The results show that multi-level policy coordination, the rule of law and civic space, and the climate finance ecosystem are key upstream drivers; organizational governance, strategic leadership, and knowledge integration play mediating roles; and institutionalized participation channels and community co-governance mechanisms are downstream factors. The study reveals the structural logic of ENGOs' participation in climate governance: a causal path of institutional entry, capacity translation, procedural settling and resource return. Based on this, corresponding institutional design and management optimization strategies are proposed. This study identifies and ranks the key drivers and paths of ENGOs ‘participation in the Malaysian context using a quantifiable causal map. The identification results are directly translated into strategy combinations and priorities, providing an actionable decision-making basis for policy formulation and capacity building. • Identifies 16 factors shaping Malaysian ENGOs' climate governance roles. • Uses DEMATEL to map causal links and rank drivers and outcomes. • Uncovers the path: institutional entry, capacity, procedures, resource return. • Proposed strategies for institutional design and capacity building in ENGO participation.