Sarawak launches Sustainability Blueprint 2030
KUCHING: Sarawak has become the first state in Malaysia to launch a Sustainability Blueprint 2030, marking a major step towards building a greener and more sustainable future.
Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the blueprint, developed by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Sarawak (MEESty), features 10 strategic thrusts, 48 strategies and 111 action plans.
'This comprehensive document, meticulously crafted and recently finalised by our MEESty, serves as our strategic roadmap for Sarawak's profound transition to a green economy.
'The Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint 2030 encompasses every facet of our sustainability agenda, designed to integrate green principles into the very fabric of our society and economy,' he said in his keynote address at the Asia Carbon Conference 2025 here today.
He said the blueprint sets a strong example for environmental action at the state level.
Abang Johari said the strategic roadmap for Sarawak's profound transition to a green economy also outlines the state's commitment to accelerating the renewable energy transition, advancing carbon capture and storage, as well as enhancing forest and land conservation.
It includes promoting green industries and investments, building sustainable cities through circular economy practices and developing a future-ready workforce through education, skills and research.
Looking ahead, he said Sarawak has pledged to publish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory report by 2027 to track the state's emissions and stay within its carbon budget.
Meanwhile, he said the Sarawak government is finalising its own Carbon Plan aimed at facilitating carbon market investments in the state.
'The Carbon Plan is pivotal to offer a detailed implementation framework designed to catalyse carbon trading and foster a vibrant carbon market.
'Central to the Carbon Plan is its focus on establishing a well-regulated and investor-friendly carbon market that balances supply and demand, thereby incentivising emissions reductions and attracting green investments to Sarawak,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
New study shows Nestle, PepsiCo and other food giants get failing marks on climate action
PARIS, June 3 — Nestle, PepsiCo and other agri-food giants are 'unlikely' to bring about meaningful greenhouse gas reductions in the sector with their current climate policies, according to a report published Tuesday. The annual report by the NewClimate Institute and Carbon Market Watch analysed the climate strategies of five of the world's top 10 food and agriculture corporations. US group PepsiCo and Brazilian meatpacking giant JBS were slapped with the lowest rating of 'very poor', while Mars and Nestle were ranked 'poor'. French brand Danone was given a 'moderate' rating. 'We find that agrifood companies present measures that are unlikely to lead to structural, deep emission reductions in the sector,' the report said. The study identified five key areas for reducing emissions: commitments to fight deforestation, a transition to more plant-based proteins, reducing chemical fertilisers, reducing waste, and the energy transition of industrial sites, packaging and transport. But it found that plant-based protein products were seen as 'merely add-ons, rather than substitutes for dairy and meat products' – which would reduce farming emissions – at JBS, a meat specialist, and Nestle, a key player in the dairy industry. 'Danone is the only one of the five assessed companies with a quantitative methane reduction target... associated with fresh milk production,' the authors wrote. 'Offsetting' risk Agricultural emissions are mainly due to livestock farming, particularly cattle, which give off methane when they burp, and the use of fertilisers, which release nitrous oxide – the third most potent greenhouse gas after methane and CO2. PepsiCo and Nestle are doing fairly well with their deforestation goals, but 'there is likely to be a mismatch between companies' reported progress... and actual rates of deforestation in their supply chains, due to a lack of data transparency,' the report said. The study pointed to persistent illegal deforestation linked to the JBS supply chain, with large areas of forest razed to make way for livestock. 'None of the five assessed agrifood companies acknowledges the need to reduce fertiliser use on farms,' the authors said, adding that Nestle and Danone only mention replacing synthetic fertilisers with natural ones. Regarding food waste, 'only Danone has a credible and ambitious food loss and waste target,' it said. 'Commitments and progress on reducing food loss and waste are noticeably absent from companies' decarbonisation strategies.' Reduction targets are also threatened by 'offsetting' mechanisms, in which emissions are compensated for by investment into environmental projects. The report said emissions avoided through offsetting mechanisms should be counted separately from a company's own emissions reductions and those of its supply chain. 'Nestle, for example, has indicated that up to 80 percent of its target could be met using land-based removals,' it said. 'This raises concerns about the transparency and robustness of already claimed emission reductions.' Danone's rating was also downgraded this year as the group 'is now explicit about its intention to count' offsetting to achieve its reduction target. The report called on bodies that certify companies' climate strategies, such as SBTi or GHG Protocol, to clarify how firms can use offsetting mechanisms to reach their targets. — AFP
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Sarawak on track to develop energy hubs
KUCHING: Sarawak is developing four strategic energy hubs which are projected to unlock investment opportunities worth between RM350bil and RM430bil, says Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (pic). He said these are the renewable energy hub, natural gas hub, hydrogen hub and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) hub. 'Each of these hubs plays a complementary role, working together towards a common and critical objective, ensuring energy security for Sarawak, today and for generations to come. 'Additionally, the Sarawak government will introduce a suite of comprehensive and forward-looking policies, including Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap, Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint, Sarawak Energy Transition Policy and Sarawak Energy Efficiency Roadmap,' added Abang Johari in the Sarawak state assembly. He expects the energy hubs to create some 44,000 new high-value jobs for Sarawakians, adding that these jobs will be generated by new industries, which can boost opportunities for local small and medium enterprises, attract domestic and foreign direct investments and strengthen Sarawak's regional and global competitiveness. Saying that Sarawak's journey towards becoming a global leader in green energy is gaining strong international momentum, Abang Johari said the recent maiden export of methanol to China from Bintulu and the launch of green methanol project by state-owned Sarawak PetChem Sdn Bhd had sent clear signals that Sarawak is moving up the clean energy value chain. 'As part of our ongoing low-carbon transition, we are also advancing infrastructure that support cleaner energy systems, including the development of hydrogen-ready technologies, such as our combined cycle gas turbine facility.' He said these initiatives aim to boost energy efficiency, strengthen power security and open potential interconnections with neighbouring regions, such as Sabah and Brunei. 'These efforts have not gone unnoticed. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recognised Sarawak's leadership in this transition. 'Bintulu has been nominated as Malaysia's first candidate for the WEF Transitioning Industrial Cluster (TIC), a reflection of WEF's confidence in our ability to balance industrial growth with sustainability. 'As we engage key players in Bintulu and Samalaju (where energy-intensive industries are operating) to formalise our TIC Statement of Ambition, we are not just preparing for recognition in Davos early next year. 'We are laying the foundation for Sarawak to stand among global leaders in shaping the low-carbon industrial future,' he added. TIC are geographic areas where co-located businesses and industries collaborate to transition from traditional practices to cleaner, low-carbon operations aligned with net-zero goals. To-date, 35 industrial clusters have signed on to the initiative and they include Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Ohio Clean Hydrogen Hub Alliance in the United States and the Kawasaki Carbon Neutral Complex in Japan. The premier has been invited to share Sarawak's green energy ambitions at the WEF annual meeting of the new champions in Tianjin, China, on June 26. Abang Johari said in view of Sarawak's growing role in the global energy sector, he had directed state-owned Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) to undertake a review and restructure its organisational framework. This involves the separation of power generation and distribution, where power generation will involve investments from the private sector. SEB will continue its function as the single buyer for electricity distribution in Sarawak. 'We have already seen a strong interest from private sector players in implementing large-scale solar and other renewable projects, such as bio-energy and waste-to-energy initiatives. 'The development of new renewable energy sources through the independent power producer model is central to Sarawak's ambition of achieving 10GW of total installed capacity by 2030 and 15GW by 2035. 'Under the upcoming Sarawak Energy Transition Policy, we have set a target for renewables to make up at least 60% to 70% by 2025,' he added. Abang Johari said the restructuring of the SEB is key to ensuring the utility body is fully able to drive Sarawak's vision of becoming both a 'Battery of Asean' and a renewable energy powerhouse. On the state's ambition to establish an aerospace hub, he said a Sarawak-Airbus joint task force will be set up to formulate a roadmap for the development of the state's aerospace industry, involving expertise from both parties. During his recent visit to Airbus' headquarters in France, Abang Johari said the aerospace company is supportive of Sarawak's ambitions and had proposed the Airbus-Sarawak Kenyalang Strategic Partnership Avenues, which will cover six key areas. These are paths towards sustainable aviation fuel production; human capital development; industrial ecosystem development; digital airline journey; Airbus consulting project for Air Borneo; and airspace operation. Also discussed was the development of an aerotropolis in Sarawak, which will include the new Kuching International Airport. The new airport, which is targeted to accommodate more than 15 million passengers annually, will embody modern, green architectural principles and be equipped with cutting-edge systems to ensure a seamless passenger journey, from check-in to boarding. 'The development of our new international airport and deep seaport in Kuching will involve private sector investments and not only be funded by the Sarawak government. 'There has been expression of interest by the private sector, local multi-national and international corporations to spearhead the projects,' said Abang Johari.
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Sarawak approves effort to boost bilingual proficiency
KUCHING: The Sarawak Government will begin implementing a standardised assessment for the Dual Language Programme (DLP) based on international standards of Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUP&A) for Year Six students in October. Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that the Education Ministry has granted approval for the Sarawak education, innovation and talent development ministry (MEITD) to collaborate with Cambridge University to roll out the initiative. 'This DLP programme will be reviewed and validated by Cambridge University Press and Assessment to ensure its implementation aligns with international standards,' he said in a statement issued by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit yesterday. The announcement follows the signing of a service contract between CUP&A and Swinburne Innovation Malaysia (SWIM) in Cambridge on Wednesday. The event was part of the premier's working visit to the United Kingdom, which began on Tuesday. Jane Mann, managing director of Partnerships for Education at CUP&A, represented the Cambridge side, while SWIM was represented by its chief executive officer George Ngui, Bernama reported. According to Abang Johari, the programme would follow the national curriculum utilising Bahasa Malaysia as the primary medium, while English would serve as the secondary medium for assessment based on Cambridge's international syllabus. Swinburne University, a strategic partner in the initiative, would work alongside Cambridge to implement the assessments in Sarawak. 'This initiative aims to produce students proficient in both languages, thereby equipping them to pursue higher education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,' he added. The premier also noted that MEITD is collaborating with Cambridge University to develop a range of high-quality bilingual programmes and scholarship opportunities to allow Sarawakian students to pursue studies in emerging strategic economic sectors. He added that both parties had agreed to facilitate the placement of qualified Sarawakian students from international school systems in world-renowned institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Oxford and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, as well as Harvard University in the United States. 'Sarawak is targeting a special quota of 10 placements for outstanding students in selected fields,' Abang Johari added.
