By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor assured that the Sabah Government will continue to be a responsible custodian of the state’s environment while remaining firm in defending the economic future of the people.
“This is the balance Sabah seeks. This is the future Sabah is building,” he said at the Powering Green Growth: Sabah and Malaysia in the Age of Sustainability World Green and Sustainability Summit (WGSS) at a hotel yesterday.
He said Sabah fully supports renewable energy and stronger environmental protection, but at the same time, Sabah is still a developing state.
“We are strengthening infrastructure, expanding industrial capacity, creating jobs and improving energy security for long-term growth. So, our position is clear,” he said.
Hajiji said energy is not merely an environmental issue, but also an economic issue and a matter of long-term security for Sabah, hence a balanced and practical energy mix is important.
“Renewable energy is clearly part of our future. Solar, hydro, biomass, biogas and other clean technologies must continue to expand as part of Sabah’s long-term energy roadmap.
“The Sabah Energy Roadmap and Master Plan 2040 itself emphasise on reliable, accessible, affordable and sustainable energy, including improved generation reserve margins, a better energy mix and increased renewable energy contribution,” he said.
Hajiji also posed a question on how Sabah receives fair economic value from its contribution if the state continues to shoulder major environmental responsibilities for the nation.
“This is not a selfish question. It is a fair question. Conservation is often spoken of as a moral duty. And yes, it is a duty we take seriously. But conservation also has an economic cost. When land is preserved, there is an opportunity cost. When forests are protected, there is revenue forgone,” he said.
“When ecosystems absorb carbon and support biodiversity, the value created does not benefit Sabah alone. It benefits Malaysia. It benefits the region. It benefits the world.
“Therefore, the new sustainability conversation must also be a conversation about fairness — fair value, fair recognition, fair investment and fair participation.
“Sabah cannot continue to be seen only as a place that contributes natural capital. Sabah must also become a place that benefits from natural capital,” he said.
He added that Sabah can prove that a developing state does not need to choose between protecting nature and improving livelihoods.
“We can do both, but we must do it in a way that is right for Sabah,” he said.
During the event, Head of State Tun Musa Aman presented the World Green and Sustainability Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award to Sabah Timber Association President Norman Wong.
Musa presenting the World Green and Sustainability Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award to Norman while Hajiji and other guests look on.
