KUCHING: Sarawak Business Federation hopes to accelerate greater participation of the private sector in advocating corporate environmental care and conservation.
Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) president Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg said the private sector has a role to play in protecting and conserving the environment.
“It is important for us to continually inculcate a work culture towards environmental protection and pollution prevention to ensure sustainability,” he said.
“It is timely that we renew our commitment by looking at new ways of how we can conserve natural resources and protect the global ecosystems which we are all a part of, to support health and wellbeing,” he said.
Abang Karim said this would also be in line with the 10th Chief Minister’s Environmental Award (CMEA) 2021/2022, themed “Redefining Sustainability in Environmental Stewardship”.
He said this at the launch of the 10th CMEA 2021/2022 while his speech was read by SBF secretary-general Datuk Jonathan Chai.
The event was officiated by Assistant Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni here today.
Abang Karim said it was indeed a great honour for SBF to collaborate with the Natural Resources and Environment Board (NREB) on yet another instalment of CMEA.
“In collaborating with NREB, SBF hopes to accelerate greater participation of the private sector in advocating corporate environmental care and conservation.
“Such is the first step towards reaping greater social and economic benefits. It starts with ourselves. Let us all do our part,” he urged.
Meanwhile, NREB Controller of Environmental Quality Peggy Ronin Edin in her speech said it is hoped that there would be a higher participation in CMEA as it is a premier recognition by the state government for those championing environmental sustainability.
She has called on all industry players in both public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and individuals – to embrace the holistic meaning of sustainability, namely the environmental, social, and economic dimensions, into their respective organisations.
“By so doing, they can also assist to heighten environmental stewardship and environmental stewards, might they be doers, donors, or practitioners,” she said.
“We also want to be as inclusive as possible in our approach for this 10th CMEA. Thus, the participation in the award is now being extended to wider and more diverse groups compared to before,” she said.
Peggy said entries from various categories of industries and organisations, groups, or individuals residing or operating in Sarawak were all welcomed.
“For the 9th CMEA for the year 2020/2021, we received 106 entries in total, and we need to significantly increase this figure if environment and sustainability really mean something to us in Sarawak,” she said.
