Sarawak issues forest carbon licences for 56,806 hectares

The Sarawak state government has issued three Forest Carbon Licences covering a total of 56,806 hectares. According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Rural Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh, these licences are part of a regulatory framework designed to govern the generation and trading of carbon credits from forest-related projects.

Of the three licensed projects, one is currently undergoing validation by an international recognized validation and verification body (VVB), while the other two have recently received approval. Under the Forests (Forest Carbon Activity) Rules, 2022, entities must hold these specific licences before they can engage in carbon credit trading.

In addition to the licensed projects, eight other entities hold Carbon Study Permits covering 179,327 hectares. These permits allow holders to conduct necessary studies and prepare a Sarawak Project Design Document (SPDD), a prerequisite for applying for a full Forest Carbon Licence. One of these study permits has been issued for a Blue Carbon Project.