KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s pledge to safeguard the environment has taken firm shape with the introduction of the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025, a move Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said places the state on a strong path towards a greener future.
The law establishes the Sabah Climate Action Council to oversee high-level decisions while affirming the state’s ownership of carbon rights.
It also sets up a Climate Registry and Inventory Centre to track carbon projects and a Climate Fund to finance climate adaptation and resilience, while protecting the rights of indigenous and customary landowners through consultation and shared benefits.
Hajiji said the State has amended core laws such as the Sabah Land Ordinance to recognise carbon storage, while maintaining its commitment to gazette 30 percent of Sabah’s land as Totally Protected Areas.
He added that major initiatives such as the Folur Project, which integrates sustainable agriculture and forest restoration, will help restore over 150,000 hectares of forest and sequester more than 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, underscoring Sabah’s leadership in climate resilience.
Hajiji made these remarks at the opening of the International Conference on Borneo’s Green Heart: Advancing Climate Resilience, Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), here on Wednesday.
Deputy State Secretary Datuk Norlijah Danin delivered his speech.
