Abang Johari (second right) visits the Pledge Tree before the opening of the ICLCA 2025 today. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad

KUCHING (Oct 23): Sarawak has been entrusted to manage its own environmental affairs as the federal government recognises that it fall under state jurisdiction, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said this collaborative understanding between the federal and state governments ensures that Sarawak’s environmental initiatives will not only benefit the state but also contribute towards a greener and more sustainable Asia.

“Our vision is to see Asia become a region that is environmentally friendly and powered by renewable green energy.

“Sarawak will continue to play its part towards this goal -to control and mitigate carbon emissions, and to leave behind a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet for future generations,” he said when officiating at the opening of the 11th International Conference on Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA 2025) at the Hikmah Exchange Event Centre here today.

Abang Johari noted that Sarawak is the first state in Malaysia to enact a law governing greenhouse gas emissions.

“That is why, when the federal Parliament sought to introduce legislation on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS), the then federal Minister of Economy referred to Sarawak’s model as a reference.

“However, we made it clear that Sarawak should be excluded from the federal law, as land matters fall under state jurisdiction. As a result, we now have two separate legislations – one under the federal government and one under the state of Sarawak.

“Under our law, carbon trading activities must be properly registered to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.

The Premier said the state government has since formulated a framework with the federal government on managing this shared responsibility.

As Malaysia is a sovereign nation, he explained, registration of carbon-related matters with the United Nations must be undertaken at the national level, and this would be done through a clear arrangement between both federal and state governments.

“There are ongoing discussions on the imposition of levies related to carbon trading, and it has been agreed that such levies should be fairly shared between the federal and state governments,” he said.

Abang Johari also reaffirmed Sarawak’s commitment to advancing sustainable town planning and waste-to-resource initiatives through nature-based solutions.

The four-day conference, which began yesterday, is jointly organised by the Institute of Sustainable and Renewable Energy (ISuRE), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), and the UTM Low Carbon Asia Research Centre, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), with support from the State Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development, the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability, and Business Events Sarawak.

With the theme “Innovative Pathways to Scalable Low-Carbon Solutions for Sustainable Development”, the conference brings together 503 participants from 20 countries, including researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers, to discuss low-carbon innovation, circular economy, sustainable production, biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and climate justice in inclusive transitions.