LAKIKR created history, receiving Sarawak's first blue carbon license

KUCHING, 15 Oct: The Kuala Rajang Islamic Wellness Trust Board (LAKIKR) made history by becoming the first entity to receive a forest carbon licence for Blue Carbon project in Sarawak.

Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Sarawak Land and Environment Administration, Datuk Len Talif Salleh, said the license covers an area of 4,788.2 hectares in Kuala Rajang, Tanjung Manis which could potentially be utilized for forest conservation activities and sustainable carbon development.

According to him, besides LAKIKR, another forest carbon license was granted to Shin Yang for the development of Jalim Forest Carbon project in Ulu Baram, covering an area of 26,353 hectares.

"Both of these projects involve two different types of forest ecosystems, namely delta forests for the LAKIKR project and mountain forests for the Jalim project.

The LAKIKR project made history as the first blue carbon project in Sarawak to receive a forest carbon license. While the Jalim project focuses on efforts to improve forest resource management and conservation", he said.

He said so at the Forest Carbon Licensing Council (FCL) to LAKIKR and Shin Yang in Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN), here today.

Commenting further, Len Talif said that so far 11 entities have received forest carbon activity permit approvals covering an area of 2.78 million hectares across Sarawak.

Of that total, three entities have obtained forest carbon licences covering a total area of 56,816.2 hectares.

However, he said, licensing does not automatically qualify any entity to issue or trade carbon credits.

"The issuance of a forest carbon licence allows the licensee to develop and implement an approved project, subject to applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

However, owning this forest carbon license does not mean that a project is automatically eligible to issue or trade carbon credits. Each project must meet the relevant carbon standards, including undergoing a verification and verification process by an accredited certification body as well as verification, before carbon credits can be issued", he stressed.

In the meantime, Len said that Sarawak Forest Department will continue to strengthen governance and monitoring to ensure forest carbon project development complies with regulations as well as protecting the interests of the environment and local communities.

According to him, the forest carbon industry not only supports biodiversity and ecosystem conservation but also has the potential to attract green investments as well as generate economic opportunities for local communities, in line with aspirations of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy Plan 2030 (PCDS 2030) and Sarawak Budgetary Goal 2027 which focuses on green economic growth.