RM145 million sustainable growth pledge
Published on: Friday, June 14, 2024
By: Crystal E Hermenegildus
Dr Joachim (fourth, right) receiving a memento from Dr John.
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is committed to making Sabah a leading transformative and sustainable hub aligned with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Plan, said Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
He said State Government recently set up Sabah Sustainability and Capacity Development Centre to educate local community on state’s rich biodiversity and developed Sabah Energy Roadmap and Masterplan 2040 to address Sabah’s energy needs and resilience till 2040.
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“The State Government’s commitment of RM145 million to initiate sustainable development in our recent budget announcement should signal positively for the future of Sabah and our government’s direction.
“With all these resources and opportunities in Sabah, we must also make concerted efforts to manage our resources prioritising climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.
“We have set up a Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Unit under the Sabah Forestry Department to lay the groundwork to manage Sabah’s climate policies and manage carbon trading activities within Sabah.
“From a regulation standpoint, the Environment Protection Department will be implementing various activities to integrate sustainable environmental protection into enforcement activities.
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“We also have the Sabah Biodiversity Centre to look into sustainability from management, conservation, protection and law of Sabah biological resources,” he said when officiating the Sabah Sustainability Accelerator Programme 2024 at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Wednesday.
Dr Joachim, who is also State Local Government and Housing Minister, said Sabah is blessed with rich resources, biodiversity, cultures, majestic Mount Kinabalu, and beautiful island such as Sipadan Island.
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With such priceless resources, he said the State Government is committed to protecting, conserving and maintaining the state’s sustainable future.
According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Report 2023, Malaysia currently ranks 78 out of 166 countries in the Sustainable Development Goals index with significant room for improvement in SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 15: Life on Land.
“Sabah has significant potential to positively impact all these SDGs through sustainable revenue-generating activities like ecotourism, high impact and credible nature-based carbon projects to support the local communities, and the generation of renewable power to support decarbonisation,” he said.
Dr Joachim said understanding sustainability is not just about knowing its technicalities but embedding it into the very fabric of businesses and daily lives.
He said sustainability is no longer a buzzword or a corporate responsibility checkbox.
“It is a strategic imperative that provides the opportunity to create long-term value for businesses.
“The beautiful recycled lanyards we are wearing and supporting our local Sabahan culture today are all simple examples of how we can all practise sustainability.
“More companies globally no longer look at Return on Investment (ROI) but rather look at Return on Value (ROV) and planetary health.
“This showcases the significance of non-monetary benefits to businesses before considering investment decisions,” he said, congratulating Chemsain and MICCI on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative and led by example.
He said the programme serves as part of the long-term vision of the State Government under its SMJ roadmap and would continue to support such sustainability hub by Chemsain and MICCI.
“I would also like to congratulate all those involved in making this event a success and to everyone here for showing your commitment towards sustainable development.
“Sustainability, as we know, is not a solo effort, it takes commitment, effort, time, money, perseverance and sacrifices.
“However, big changes do not always require big action but rather consistency,” Dr Joachim said, hoping to see everyone joining forces to create better Sabah for future generations.
Also present were the Chairman of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and also the event sponsor, Datuk Seri Madius Tangau; Chairman of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) Sabah Branch, event co-organiser, Datuk Lee Swi Heng and Director of Chemsain Group of Companies, Event Co-organiser, Dr John Chan.
Also present were Sustainability General Manager of Sawit Kinabalu Nazlan Mohamad, representing Group Manager of and CEO of Sawit Kinabalu and also the event sponsor, Victor Ationg and Ministry Local Government and Housing represented by Johnny Samson.
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