Putrajaya, Sarawak form special committee on carbon policy

Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said the panel would ensure that carbon-related policies are carried out via talks between the federal and state governments.

He said the committee would coordinate the assessment and development of a carbon credit registration system between both administrations, a report by the Sarawak public communications unit (Ukas) stated.

“Sarawak has approved the Greenhouse Gas Ordinance, so they already have their regulations and framework. So when we bring in the national framework, we need to ensure we can coordinate between the nation and the states, especially regarding the price of carbon credits.

“Sarawak and the federal government cannot have differing prices because the carbon credits produced from Sarawak will also help our nationally determined contribution targets at the international level, particularly when we report under the Paris Agreement,” said Kurup.

He pointed out that the Bornean state played a key role in the development of Malaysia’s market since it has a forest coverage of over 54%.

Separately, Kurup said the National Climate Change Bill would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat when it convenes in June, following several delays.

He expressed hope that all MPs would help ensure the bill is approved by Parliament.

The bill is set to include carbon credits or incentives for companies that successfully reduce their carbon emissions, among other things, to support the national agenda to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

It was initially slated to be tabled late last year but was postponed to the March sitting this year before being delayed again.