Sarawak govt finalising permit issuance to study carbon activities in marine ecosystem

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By Ling Hui

KUCHING, Nov 29: The Sarawak government is finalising the issuance of three carbon study permits, one of which involves a blue carbon study in mangrove forest areas.

Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said blue carbon refers to the carbon stored in the marine ecosystem, mainly by mangrove forests and sea grass.

“These ecosystems play an important role in the absorption and storage of large quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“Therefore, activities involving conservation in relation to blue carbon are very important to balance the absorption of carbon consistently in the future,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) today.

Awang Tengah, who is also Sarawak Deputy Premier, said so far, one carbon study permit has been issued to a local company to study and assess the actual potential of the area to carry out carbon activities.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) was issued the license to store carbon at a 1.318 million hectares or 3.257 million acres area in the Miri-Bintulu water.

“In order to facilitate carbon trading activities to be more systematic and orderly as well as to support Malaysia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, the Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission) Bill, 2023 was approved by this august House.

“The Sarawak government also conducted a study entitled Sarawak Climate Change Policy and Low Carbon Society Blueprints in Cities and Towns (Kuching, Miri, Sibu and Bintulu) to devise mitigation and adaptation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen climate resilience,” said Awang Tengah. — DayakDaily