Malaysia’s Sarawak courts Australian cooperation to boost green economy goals

“Sarawak stands at a critical juncture where we must decouple GDP growth from unsustainable energy and resource consumption. This shift will not happen on its own,” Abang Johari said while speaking at this year’s edition of the annual Asean-Australian Business Forum on Thursday.

The premier used this year’s forum to explore new opportunities for two-way exchanges in innovation and investments in areas like aerospace and green energy transition.

Sarawak was the only Southeast Asian state government to send representatives to join the 500 or so people who attended this year’s forum, which also included Asean country heads of mission, business chamber representatives and business leaders.

The East Malaysian state has made no secret of its ambitions to become the top green economy in Southeast Asia since 2021, when it launched its Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030. The plan aims to increase the state’s median monthly household income while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent.

“My goal is clear. To boost economic productivity while reducing emissions,” Abang Johari told the forum.

Safeguarding the Sarawakian environment and making sure Sarawak’s growth does not lead to an overconsumption of resources and high emissions have been key to achieving these goals, Abang Johari added.

Sarawak has also asserted its autonomy and passed new state laws that would advance its energy transition policies ahead of federal regulations, an accomplishment that has now led the state to work with Kuala Lumpur on national laws, Abang Johari told This Week in Asia.

Before speaking at the forum, Abang Johari and his delegation visited hi-tech research laboratories at Swinburne University of Technology and the Commonwealth