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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah may be on the verge of repeating past mistakes that cost it control over vital resources – unless it urgently asserts its rights over carbon and forest assets before the Federal Climate Change Bill is tabled in Parliament later this year.

Environmental groups and State leaders are warning that Sabah could once again be sidelined in national policy decisions, as it was with oil, palm oil and maritime boundaries – where Federal laws were passed with little or no input from the State, stripping Sabah of decision-making power.

Although the Sabah Climate Action Council was established in 2024 to steer State climate efforts, there is still no clear policy or legal safeguard in place to ensure Sabah retains authority over its carbon resources.

Future Alam Borneo Chairman Anton Ngui said Sabah cannot afford to remain passive, especially with growing global interest in carbon markets and green finance.

“History is repeating itself. If we wait again, carbon will become another resource that’s taken from under us,” he said.

He stressed that Sabah, as Malaysia’s largest carbon sink, is not only in a strong ecological position – it also has an opportunity to lead the country’s transition into a climate-resilient economy.

“Sabah should be leading, not just complying. There’s an opportunity here to create long-term, high-value jobs in green technology and sustainable development – instead of being stuck with just agriculture and extractive industries,” he said.

Anton also called for stronger leadership from state policymakers to ensure Sabah’s voice is heard at the federal level, especially as Malaysia prepares to strengthen its international climate commitments.

“Carbon is the future. And it’s time we treated it like an asset we own, not something others get to trade on our behalf,” he added.

Sabah Climate Change Adviser Datuk Darrel Webber, speaking at the Carbon Sovereign Sabah (CSS) briefing earlier this year, warned that once Sabah loses control over how its forests are managed for carbon crediting, it would be extremely difficult to regain that authority.

“Sabah has spent decades protecting its forests, which now serve as a major carbon sink that offsets emissions from other regions. It is crucial that we don’t give up control over that,” he said.

The call for urgency has been echoed by other leaders. Tungku Assemblyman Assaffal Panglima Alian said stronger State-level legislation is needed immediately to ensure Sabah’s long-term interests are secured.

Senator Datuk Nelson Wences Angang pointed out that while federal climate policies are necessary, Sabah must have a seat at the table in designing them.

“Otherwise, we risk ending up with laws that don’t reflect our realities on the ground,” he said.

WWF-Malaysia’s head of conservation for Sabah, Dr Robecca Jumin, said Sabah has already taken some positive steps – including amending the Forest Enactment 1968 to allow for carbon-related activities – but that momentum needs to be followed through.

“If we delay further, those gains might be lost under national frameworks that don’t prioritise state-level management,” she said.

This is not the first time the issue has been raised. Last year, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan warned during a state assembly sitting that Sabah needed its own carbon laws urgently – or risk being sidelined once again by federal decisions.

The message from civil society and leaders alike is clear: Sabah must act now – or lose out on a critical opportunity to control its environmental and economic future.