KUCHING: Sarawak has issued three carbon licences to companies involved in carbon credit trading, covering an area of 56,806ha, says state Deputy Natural Resources and Urban Development Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He said one of the licences was being validated by a certified validation and verification body (VVB) while the other two had just been issued.
In addition, the state government has issued eight carbon study permits involving 179,327ha.
“This allows the permit holders to conduct studies and prepare the Sarawak project design document as a prerequisite for the approval of a carbon licence,” Len Talif told Dr Simon Sinang (GPS-Tebedu) during Question Time in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly yesterday.
To a supplementary question, he said licensees’ carbon projects must undergo validation and verification by internationally-recognised VVBs before they can start generating carbon credits.
“Once it passes the verification stage, the carbon project will receive certification that allows carbon credits to be officially issued.
“The credits can then be registered in the carbon market and traded at domestic and international levels.
“At this stage, the project will start to generate real economic value,” he said.
Len Talif also said local communities can benefit from carbon projects through job opportunities and capacity-building programmes by project developers.
For instance, he said locals can provide boat rentals and labour to support the projects.
“They can also build their technical capacity in areas such as forest replanting, nursery management, forest inventory, biomass assessment and sustainable resource management,” he added.
Separately, Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen was suspended for the remainder of the current sitting, which ends on Oct 21, after breaching multiple standing orders while debating the state budget.
A total of 62 members present voted in favour of suspending the Sarawak DAP chairman yesterday while Pending assemblyman, the sole DAP representative present, voted against the motion and GPS-leaning Independent Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How abstained.
Chong was absent as he was in Parliament.
The suspension follows his controversial statements on the state government’s alleged purchase of an executive jet for VVIP use.
