KUCHING: A total of 11 entities are involved in forest carbon activities in Sarawak, with three granted Forest Carbon Licences covering a combined area of 56,806 hectares.

Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh said that of the three licences, one was undergoing validation by a validation and verification body (VVB) recognised under international carbon standards, while the other two had recently been approved.

“Under the Forests (Forest Carbon Activity) Rules, 2022, carbon credit trading activities can only be carried out after obtaining a Forest Carbon Licence,” he said.

He was responding to a question from Tebedu Assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada during the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly Sitting here on Thursday.

Elaborating on the process of generating carbon credits after a Forest Carbon Licence is issued, Datuk Len said the projects must undergo validation and verification in accordance with recognised international carbon standards.

“Validation involves assessing the project design and its compliance with the relevant standards, while verification confirms the carbon emission reductions or removals achieved.

“Once these requirements have been met, carbon credits can be issued according to the standards and methodologies applied before being registered for trading in the carbon market,” he explained.

He added that another eight entities had been issued Carbon Study Permits covering a total area of 179,327 hectares.

He said the permits allowed their holders to conduct studies and prepare a Sarawak Project Design Document (SPDD), which is among the requirements for obtaining approval for a Forest Carbon Licence.

Meanwhile, in response to a question from Daro Assemblyman Dr Safiee Ahmad, Datuk Len said a Carbon Study Permit had been issued for a Blue Carbon Project, but it did not cover the Paloh and Serdeng areas.

However, he said no applications had been received for the Daro area to date. -UKASnews

Translator: Uilson Ng