BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Belait Peat Swamp Forest has been identified as a promising pilot site for Brunei’s entry into the forest carbon market, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) Tutiaty Abdul Wahab said on Monday (Sept 15).
Speaking at the opening of the International Workshop on “Exploring Forest Carbon Market Opportunities in Brunei Darussalam: The Case of Belait Peat Swamp Forest,” at a hotel in Kiulap, she said the unique ecosystem is one of the country’s most carbon-rich and ecologically valuable forest types, positioning it as a potential testbed for voluntary carbon projects.
The workshop, co-organised by the Forestry Department and the Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia (ERIA), is part of a wider project on the Gap Analysis and Verification of the National Forest Resources Inventory of Brunei.
“Transitioning from strong forest protection to forest monetisation without compromising ecological integrity requires technical accuracy, credible data, and robust verification,” said Tutiaty. She stressed that any carbon project in Belait must align with international standards such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines and emerging frameworks like ART TREES and Verra.
She noted that with over 70 per cent of Brunei still forested, the country has significant potential to position forestry at the heart of its carbon pricing strategy under the Brunei National Climate Change Policy.
Participants at the two-day workshop include international experts from Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Germany, alongside representatives from local agencies such as the Brunei Climate Change Secretariat and the Ministry of Finance and Economy. The programme also includes a field visit to the Belait Peat Swamp Forest.
Tutiaty urged stakeholders to reflect on the responsibility of transforming a carbon-rich forest into a marketable asset. “Exploring the forest carbon market is not about jumping into something because it is trending. It is about building a strong foundation based on data, policy alignment, institutional readiness, and above all, integrity,” she said.
The workshop will review preliminary findings of ERIA’s gap analysis and assess the feasibility of implementing a forest carbon project in Brunei, with insights expected to inform both national policies and regional dialogues at the upcoming Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Meeting. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
