Abang Johari speaks during the opening of ICLCA 2025 at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today. – Photo by Faisal Ahmad

KUCHING (Oct 23): Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has called on local authorities and planners to integrate low-carbon principles into urban design, stressing that future cities must prioritise sustainability, liveability, and climate resilience.

He said urban areas of the future should feature tree-lined streets, dedicated pedestrian walkways, and generous green spaces to balance carbon emissions and oxygen production — key elements in building healthier environments for communities.

“Cities must provide separate pedestrian walkways, tree-lined streets, and green spaces to balance carbon emissions and oxygen production.

“We have enough rainfall and sunlight for trees to thrive. Other countries import trees, but we can simply replant ours from our own forests,” he said during the opening of the 11th International Conference on Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA 2025) at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today.

Abang Johari cautioned against the overuse of concrete in public spaces, urging a shift towards “soft landscapes” that absorb carbon and enhance urban biodiversity.

“Sometimes we use too much cement because we are lazy to maintain greenery. We must discard that culture. Less cement and more green spaces — that’s the way forward,” he said.

The Premier also warned that the global climate crisis has reached a critical stage, with rising temperatures already surpassing the 1.5°C threshold agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“The world agreed in Paris that temperature increases must be kept within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — but today, we have already surpassed that.

“Countries that never experienced extreme heat, such as Spain and Portugal, are now facing temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius,” he said.

He said Sarawak is already taking bold steps through its Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which is anchored on three pillars — economic prosperity, social inclusivity, and environmental sustainability.