Sabah passes climate change Bill after blowing past Paris Agreement targets

The Star

18 hours ago

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has passed the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025, following official confirmation that the state absorbs more carbon than it emits, placing it ahead of global expectations set under the Paris Agreement.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir, who tabled the Bill in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday (July 8), cited findings from Sabah's first Greenhouse Gas Inventory, conducted last year, which identified the state as a net carbon sink, a rare position globally.
'In simple terms, we absorb more carbon than we emit. Sabah has already gone beyond what the world is asking for under the Paris Agreement. We have done our part, today, for Malaysia's 2050 net-zero commitment,' he said.
The data showed that Sabah contributes approximately 36% of Malaysia's total carbon sequestration, underscoring its environmental value and strategic importance in the low-carbon global economy.
Madingkir described this status as a 'strategic economic asset' in a carbon-constrained world, and one that must be 'guarded jealously'.
'This is not something we can take lightly. If we are not careful, we could quickly lose this position and become a carbon polluter like many others, squandering the advantage we currently hold,' he said.
Despite this rare advantage, he reminded the assembly that Sabah remains one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in Malaysia, grappling with floods, coastal erosion and threats to rural livelihoods.
The newly passed Bill aims to address both challenges, turning vulnerability into opportunity.
The Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025 establishes a legal framework for regulating carbon-related activities, protecting the state's carbon assets and building institutional climate resilience.
Key provisions include establishing the Sabah Climate Action Council (SCAC) as the state's lead policy advisory body; creating a Climate Fund and Inventory Centre for tracking greenhouse gas emissions; mandating emissions reporting by listed entities; affirming that carbon rights belong to the state government; and ensuring the participation of Indigenous communities, especially for projects on customary land.
The Bill also provides a mechanism for managing carbon credit generation, benefit-sharing and enforcement, supported by a two-tier governance structure with oversight across state agencies.
Madingkir explained that environmental matters fall under the state's legislative authority, as they are not included in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
Land, water and forests, key to carbon governance, fall under List II (State List), strengthening Sabah's legislative right to act, he added.
He stressed that while Sabah already leads in environmental performance, maintaining this lead will require capacity-building, funding and strategic partnerships, especially with the Federal Government and global stakeholders.
'Our goal is to ensure that the benefits of this unique position reach the lives of Sabahans, while contributing meaningfully to global climate progress,' he said.
The Enactment passed with strong support from lawmakers across the aisle, reflecting political will to position Sabah at the forefront of green policy and carbon economy.