Kota Kinabalu: Sabah is in a position to be a global leader in delivering effective and impactful forest carbon programmes, thanks to the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project, which has had its first Monitoring Report validated.
This achievement confirms that it has met internationally acknowledged standards for climate, community and biodiversity progress.
This milestone allows the conservation effort, which is protecting and recovering 83,381 hectares of tropical rainforest in Tongod and Kinabatangan, to generate its first tranche of Verified Carbon Units (VCU).
“With the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project, Sabah is in a position to be a world leader in delivering effective and impactful forest carbon projects,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also Yayasan sabha Board of Trustees Chairman.
“As a public private partnership, it is important that endeavours like these not only provide ecosystem protection but also support the people of Sabah, especially those most directly affected.
“We are grateful to be working with partners that are just as dedicated to this holistic approach to project development,” he said.
The project was created through a public-private cooperation between the Sabah Forestry Department, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn Bhd of Yayasan Sabah and Permian Malaysia, a subsidiary of Permian Global.
Permian Global has contributed the entire investment for the project. The study was carried out in a transparent manner, with state and local NGO cooperation, particularly operational support from the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership and Pacos Trust, a community-focused organisation.
The forest area, which was selectively logged in the past, has been protected from further logging or degradation and can now regenerate.
The core objectives of the project are to ensure the forest’s carbon remains stored in the living biomass to help combat climate change, safeguard a thriving biodiverse landscape and conserve important endangered species and improve the livelihoods, well-being and sustainable economic opportunities of the local communities.
Meanwhile, Permian Malaysia Chief Executive Ivy Wong said they are honoured to collaborate with such dedicated and responsive partners on the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project and to see all the efforts recognised through this third-party verification to protect such an important and charismatic ecosystem.
“Tropical forest protection is essential for mitigating climate change. To be truly effective, integrity must be built into every aspect of the development process.
“An important part of is ensuring local communities are involved and have the means to improve their well-being, so that protection of nature is integrated into their livelihood opportunities,” said Wong.
