BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines- East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) needs to expand cooperation in environmental management and prioritise efforts to combat climate change, said a senior Malaysian official.

Speaking at the opening of a BIMP-EAGA environmental meeting yesterday, Datuk Yabi Yangkat said the grouping has been slow to carry out proposed environmental projects.

“So far we have only managed to complete one of 10 proposed projects,” he said at the meeting hosted by Brunei’s Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe).

This is third time officials in the BIMP-EAGA environment cluster have met since the cluster was set up three years ago.

The two-day meeting, held in Bandar Seri Begawan, will address climate change, promotion of green policies, and sustainable management of the ecosystem, JASTRe said in a statement.

Senior Landscape Architect at JASTRe, Kim Hon Bangau, said the environment cluster aims to narrow the development gap across and within the EAGA countries.

“The government of Brunei Darussalam is fully committed to the concept of sustainable development and has enshrined it in its national development plans,” she said, adding that Brunei will identify prudent measures to address environmental pressures such as air pollution, global warming and water pollution.

Kim said the sultanate has phased out CFCs consumption since 2010, and the government has adopted several green policies including mandatory environmental impact assessment for all development projects, energy saving guidelines and creation of a green buildings council.

The Brunei Times