THE introduction of the Forest (Amendment) Bill 2022 will provide more job opportunities for Sarawakians through the carbon credit industry.
Billy Sujang (GPS-Opar) in support of the proposed amendment, said this was one of the Bill’s many benefits to come following its introduction.
“Once approved, we can also introduce carbon stock as one of our forest produce, develop amenity forest or permanent forest for research and development, education and
recreational for eco-tourism,” he said during debate time on Thursday (May 19).
He added that the Bill would also empower the state government on the approval of carbon stock and carbon trading.
“On top of that, it will also be able to introduce forest carbon licence and enforcement and encourage replantation of forest in the logging industries.”
Billy emphasised that carbon stocks were important as it was in line with the Paris Agreement Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol 1997 whose main objectives were to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas (GHS).
“All these GHS gases are released globally to the atmosphere that trigger global warming and extreme climate change which result in natural disasters.
“Beside that, those gases are harmful to humans. If we don’t control the emission of these gases into the environment, either naturally or mechanically, one day we might need to carry our own oxygen tank everywhere, much like us using face masks for the past two years,” he cautioned.
