Brunei will do its utmost to combat climate change

In Addressing climate change and its impacts, Brunei Darussalam believes that there is a need to strike a balance between economic growth, social development and environmental protection that forms the very foundation of sustainable development, Borneo Bulletin reported.

Brunei continues to integrate and mainstream environmental dimensions into its national development projects to ensure a sustainable development pathway.

Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Suyoi bin Hj Osman said this in a country statement at the 18th session of the Conference of Cie Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) and the 8″1 session of the Conference of the Meeting of Parties (CMP8) to the UNFCCC in Doha, Qatar.

“Brunei’s efforts, amongst others, encompass the introduction of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the planning and implementation of projects and land optimisation through the introduction of vertical development in our national housing schemes, conservation of our carbon sink resources by maintaining more than 50 per cent of our total land area under forest cover and apportioning a percentage of built-up area as green areas.

“Others include promoting environmentally sound technology and products and also enhancing awareness on environmentally friendly lifestyle and resource efficiency, such as the wise and efficient use of energy and water in our daily consumption practices, promoting the initiative on green buildings, in particular adopting energy efficient design and the drive for renewable energy with an aim to contribute 10 per cent off our energy mix by 2030 through our 1.2 MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation Demonstration Project that is able to generate power for more than 200 houses.

At the regional level, the tripartite forest conservation initiative with Malaysia and Indonesia, called the ‘Heart of Borneo’, pledges 3,300 square kilometres of our tropical rainforests, constituting around 58 per cent of our total land area.

“This green initiative further reinforces our collective contribution to the global climate change agenda with respect to Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD Plus), and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).”

The minister added that even with a small populace and a limited resource and also an insignificant global net carbon emission of less than 0.01 per cent, Brunei will continue to pursue efforts and do its utmost to address and combat climate change as a moral obligation and responsibility to preserve mother earth. “Brunei stands ready to work cooperatively and constructively towards a balanced outcome in Doha,” the minister said.

Speaking about the conference, the minister said Brunei sees COP18 and CMP8 as key and crucial to the Kyoto Protocol. “We also see it as an important juncture for the successful closure of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Actions, the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol and consequently, the launching of the protocol into its next period of implementation.

“There needs to be a second commitment period, one that has ambitious targets, immediately ratifiable and readily implementable with no gap between the first and second commitment period.

“We need to deliver a message to the world that we are not merely exchanging words and thoughts here, but are actually putting those words and thoughts into concrete actions as a collective and global effort to address and combat climate change and its impacts.

“In this regard, Brunei Darussalam also sees the new legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the convention that is applicable to all parties through the Durban Platform to enter into force in 2020. This instrument, we believe, must also uphold the provisions and principles of the convention with equity and common but differentiated responsibilities as its basis,” Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Haji Suyoi said.