Kota Kinabalu: The European Union (EU) commended Sabah for its strong leadership and long-standing commitment to sustainable forest management and climate action, describing the State as ahead of the curve in aligning economic development with environmental responsibility.
EU Ambassador to Malaysia Rafael Daerr said Sabah’s efforts, particularly through the Sabah Timber Legality Assurance System Plus (TLAS+), demonstrated a high level of awareness and responsibility by the State Government, the Sabah Forestry Department, industry players and the people of Sabah.
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“It is a testament to the awareness and responsibility shouldered by the Sabah Government, the Sabah Forestry Department, the timber value chain actors and the people of Sabah,” he said when speaking at the launch of the Sabah TLAS+ Booklet at Hilton Hotel, Thursday.
Daerr noted that the launch of TLAS+ came at a critical time, as the world faced increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including flooding, which he said was being experienced both in Sabah and in Europe.
“What happens here is not unique to Sabah, it is happening in Europe as well,” he said, adding that climate change underscored the reality that nations, while separated by borders, shared the same planet and the same consequences.
He said the EU responded to the climate crisis by placing sustainability at the heart of its growth strategy through the European Green Deal, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while continuing economic growth, job creation and ensuring a just transition.
The EU, he said, was committed to reducing emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and was actively paving the way towards a 90pc reduction by 2040 through legally binding measures under the “Fit for 55” package.
“These decisions apply first and foremost within the EU,” he said, while acknowledging that the transition was challenging but necessary.
Daerr said similar ambition could be seen in Malaysia, and Sabah in particular, including under the 13th Malaysia Plan, which emphasised strengthening the green economy and preserving planetary health.
Touching on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), he stressed that both regulations applied primarily within the EU.
He acknowledged concerns that the measures were sometimes perceived as externally imposed or protectionist, but clarified that they were driven by three key principles.
“First, our own businesses have demanded a level playing field – if rules apply to them, they must apply to all imports as well,” he said.
“Second, we do not want EU purchasing power to cause harm elsewhere,” he added, noting that the EU did not want its demand to force producers or communities into environmentally or socially damaging practices.
“Third, and very importantly, we want these commodities. We need them,” he said, citing products such as timber, palm oil and coffee, and emphasising that the EU wanted commodities produced in Malaysia, and Sabah in particular.
