PUTRAJAYA is drafting a national carbon policy, among others, to provide guidance on carbon trading at the state level, said Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

“Many states such as Sarawak, Sabah, Perak, Pahang and Selangor are exploring (carbon trading) because carbon is seen as a state resource. We want to coordinate at the national level so we can get the results we want,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question from Mohd Shahar Abdullah (Paya Besar-BN).

Nik Nazmi said the government is also updating and improving the National Action Plan for Peatlands in line with the Asean Peatland Management Strategy (APMS), which is being developed. 

The APMS will be used to guide countries to sustainably manage peatlands and coordinate the various agencies. 

He said 8% of land in the country, namely, in Johor, Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, is peatland.

“The Agriculture Department has recorded 714,156ha of peatlands, while the total area used for agriculture is 342,329ha, with 304,212ha used for commodities and another 38,117ha for food crops,” he said. – Bernama, June 7, 2023.