KOTA SAMARAHAN: Sarawak is the first state in Malaysia that has enacted laws to permit activities related to carbon and nature venture businesses.
In stating this, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the laws are a testament to Sarawak’s efforts to be at the forefront of climate change mitigation.
“Sarawak has recently amended its Forests Ordinance, 2015, to regulate forest carbon activities in line with efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change under the Paris Agreement.
“The state has also amended its Land Code to enable carbon capture, usage and storage as another solution to mitigate climate change, where the carbon credits generated are to be tradable in the carbon market.
“Sarawak is thereby creating a solid foundation, leveraging on the market mechanisms and stakeholders’ collaboration toward environmental sustainability,” Abang Johari said this during the AsiaFlux Conference 2022 Gala Dinner at Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (TROPI) on Tuesday evening (Sept 20).
He emphasized that Sarawak will continue to strongly support scientific research and monitoring of its forests and cropland ecosystems.
“Our forest and our economy are two sides of the same coin. If we cannot sustain our forest and the croplands, we cannot sustain ourselves and Sarawak’s economy.
“It is a state treasure, and one we, the Government of Sarawak, as stewards of its people,are committed to protect,” he stressed.
Abang Johari also said TROPI, which on its part has advocated and put in practice that the most useful way to monitor and measure is to use eddy flux measurement.
“It is a widely recognised method to validate carbon flux inventories in the environment.
“The state government’s commitment to environmental sustainability is underlined by its support of TROPI’s eddy flux tower studies,” he said.
He added that by virtue of pursuing such studies, Sarawak, through the validation efforts of TROPI has taken its place of the global network in generating empirical scientific data to better understand the tropical peatland ecosystem.
“These studies by TROPI will then help Sarawak contribute to the estimation of global greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets to achieve the Paris Agreement goals of reaching net-zero emission by 2050 or earlier and thus avoid the looming tipping points of 1.5 celsius warming over pre-industrial levels,” he added.
Through the conference, Abang Johari said it has attracted scientists and researchers with expertise in a wide range of fields from all over the world to Sarawak.
“They contribute significant findings related to the carbon cycle and anthropogenic GHG emission and would be able to have initiatives to minimise the negative impacts of climate change, be it on food security or natural disasters occurring at higher frequencies due to extreme weather events,” he said.
Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan; Modernisation of Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi, Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk John Sikie; Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Deputy Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh; Deputy Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Datuk Francis Harden Hollis and Ta Ann Holdings Berhad Executive Chairman Datuk Amar Abdul Hamed Sepawi and other distinguished guests.
