By Ashley Sim and Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 11: Sarawak is considering establishing an energy council to coordinate all stakeholders and align their policies with the State’s strategic direction in driving the energy transition agenda, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the proposed council, unlike an energy authority, will serve as a platform for engagement between the public and private sectors to ensure that businesses and industry players work in harmony with Sarawak’s policies.
“This is part of our process, engagement with the private sector so that the public sector and private sector meet at that meeting point. After that, we formulate the policy,” he said at a press conference held after launching the Sarawak Energy Transition Policy (SET-P) during the Public-Industry Engagement Day hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (MEESty) Sarawak at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today.
Regarding the SET-P, Abang Johari said it is tied to policies Sarawak aims to develop, particularly those driving economic activities in the low-carbon economy.
“It involves the use of environmentally friendly energy, meaning sustainable energy that revolves around renewable energy.
“We have already launched our hydrogen policy and our low-carbon policy. Today marks the implementation of the energy transition towards a different kind of economy in line with global demands, as reflected in the outcomes of COP conferences from Kyoto, Paris, Dubai, and Baku, to possibly next year’s conference in Brazil,” he said.
He noted that with the launch of the Sarawak Sustainability Blueprint 2030 (SSB 2030) and the Sarawak Hydrogen Economy Roadmap (SHER), the SET-P is aligned with global standards and economic trends, positioning the State to comply with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.
“We are fortunate to have strong grounds for producing renewable energy, and we also have significant interest from our global partners who wish to invest in Sarawak because of our abundant resources, particularly hydropower.
“The next wave is solar energy, with significant potential for solar power generation, as well as our network of natural gas.
“We expect investments of around RM700 billion over the next 10 years, as this is a very capital-intensive sector,” said the Premier.
He added that such investments would create high-quality jobs, in line with the state government’s plan to provide free tertiary education for Sarawakians, preparing the workforce for roles in the new economy.
“I should also share that experts observing us have acknowledged that we have natural capital, meaning our natural resources, but what we now seek is human capital that is integrated into the value chain of our natural capital.
“This is why our policies are comprehensive, and because of this need, we must prepare our younger generation to fill the gaps between natural capital and new products arising from the global shift in economic structures.
“This will make us a global player in the transition, which is why Sarawak’s energy policy must be clear,” he said, noting that with this transition policy in place, everyone can understand it, take part, and contribute their own strategies to maximise the potential of Sarawak’s natural capital. — DayakDaily
