SIBU – Sarawak’s pursuit of becoming a developed state with an economy the size of RM282 billion by 2030 will not be done at the expense of the environment, state Deputy Public Health and Housing Minister Michael Tiang said.
While a lot of economic activities have been planned with some currently already being carried out, he said, environmental sustainability remains one of the cores of achieving this vision.
“That is why the Sarawak government placed environmental sustainability as one of the three main pillars in its Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030. This is an ambitious plan for Sarawak. We implemented this because we want to answer the global call in the fight against climate change,” he said.
Officiating the Climate Change Action Plan seminar organised by the Sibu Municipal Council here today, he said the state government believed that economic activities that put the environment into consideration will drive the state’s prosperity even further.
He said Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had worked to change the economic model and reposition the state towards becoming a major green energy economy in Southeast Asia, including ventures into hydrogen, solar energy, hydroelectric, and biofuel.
“However, the state government still needs the support from its local authorities to play its part well in encouraging the community to save the environment,” Tiang said.
He reminded that the call to address climate change was more urgent now because if nothing was done, more cities would be submerged, homes and lives would be destroyed, food would be scarce, poverty would increase, and people would starve, eventually weakening the economy.
Tiang, who is also the Pelawan assemblyman, said the community could play its role in the fight against climate change by practising good waste management.
In addition, he said local authorities should encourage the community to recycle as it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions,and work closely with non-governmental organisations to educate the community on the importance of recycling and carpooling. – The Vibes, March 21, 2023
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