S’wak to focus on hydropower, solar energy, hydrogen to beat climate change

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Dr Hazland Abang Hipni

KUCHING (May 19): The Sarawak government will issue its own climate policy soon focusing on three sources of green energy, namely hydropower, solar energy and hydrogen.

Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni said the policy would be produced after the completion of a study conducted under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

“The study on Sarawak’s climate change policy is in line with Malaysia’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and Sarawak’s vision, namely the Post-Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030) for sustainable development to ensure a clean and healthy environment,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Dr Hazland said apart from producing a state policy on GHG, the study was expected to provide an action plan to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Among the expected results from the study were a baseline on GHG by the energy sector, transportation, industrial processes, agriculture, land-use change, and waste management.

“Given that the global focus now is on sustainable development, the implementation of Sarawak development projects will clearly come at a price, in particular the impact on the environment and biodiversity conservation.

“Thus, sustainable development needs to be pursued so that the community has a better future encompassing a clean, level environment sustainable development without excessive waste and pollution and protection of natural resources and biodiversity,” he said.

He also noted that any increase in global warming was significant and solutions to climate change could provide economic benefits, improve lives and protect the environment.