DBKU to unveil five-year Low Carbon Master Plan on Oct 24

KUCHING: Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) will launch its five-year Low Carbon Master Plan on October 24, setting out a roadmap towards a cleaner and more sustainable Kuching by 2030.

Mayor Datuk Hilmy Othman said the master plan, developed in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), would guide DBKU’s efforts to progressively reduce carbon emissions.

He said the completed plan would also serve as one of the key agendas of the Sarawak Urban Forum 2.0 (SUF 2.0), which begins on October 24.

“This Low Carbon Master Plan for the next five years will guide our activities to progressively reduce carbon emissions as we move towards the goal of achieving net zero,” he said.

He relayed this during a press conference after visiting Dataran Festival at Lebuh Java here yesterday(Oct8), which was also attended by Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, DBKU and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.

According to Hilmy, DBKU is among the local authorities in Malaysia to have undertaken such a master plan study to identify measures and interventions needed to support low-carbon urban development.

He said details on the implementation of the master plan would be unveiled during its launch at the opening of SUF 2.0 on October 24.

The plan would also incorporate several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those relating to sustainable cities and communities, while addressing sustainability, public wellbeing and safety, including the needs of senior citizens.

Meanwhile, Hilmy said SUF 2.0 would place greater emphasis on the social dimension of urbanisation, ensuring physical development keeps pace with the needs of the community.

“Experiences from developed cities show that physical development alone, without sufficient attention to social needs, can create gaps in urban life.

“That is why interventions need to be introduced early as the city continues to grow rapidly. We want urban development to meet the needs of the community while supporting the health and wellbeing of city residents,” he said.

SUF 2.0 will be held from October 24 to 27 under the theme, “Future-Ready Cities: Building a Resilient Future through Collaboration, Adaptation and Progress.”

The forum follows the Malaysian Urban Forum (MUF) 5.0 held in Kuching in 2023, before Sarawak hosted its inaugural SUF in 2024.