Sabah also passed the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025 in July last year. Photo Credit: iStock/usnizam
Sabah has officially reached carbon-negative status, elevating the state’s proposition in attracting sustainability-focused organisations.
The Malaysian state’s natural ecosystems absorb more carbon than is emitted through human activities such as transport, industry and energy use, according to findings from the inaugural Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Report 2024, conducted by the Sabah Climate Change Action Council (SCAC).
The inventory, alongside a climate vulnerability assessment, represents two key studies undertaken by SCAC since 2022. Together, they provide Sabah with its first comprehensive picture of emissions across multiple sectors, said Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun, assistant minister to the chief minister, to local news outlets.
He added that the findings have already helped strengthen Sabah’s climate governance, including the passing of the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025 in July last year.
To support implementation, the state will soon establish the Sabah Climate Registration and Inventory Centre (SaCRIC), which will regulate carbon-related activities and enforce the new law.
Broader plans are also under way to sustain Sabah’s climate progress.
The SCAC is coordinating development plans with the federal government while refining local data to improve future GHG inventories and identify suitable carbon projects.
At the same time, data collection and reporting efforts continue as Sabah works towards Malaysia’s commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.