Environmental Watchdog Calls for Transparency in Fossil Fuel Exploration Off Sarawak Coast
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: RimbaWatch, a leading environmental watchdog, is urging the environment department to make the environmental impact assessment related to a proposed fossil fuel exploration off Sarawak’s coast accessible to the public.
Proposal for Baram Junior Cluster
A local energy company entered a production sharing contract for the Baram Junior cluster in January 2023, and the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was submitted to the environment department on October 16, with its approval currently pending.
EIA Non-Transparency
RimbaWatch has expressed concern over the non-transparency of the EIA, as it is only available through the title and date of submission. This contradicts the department’s EIA guidelines, which require the public to have access to the full report.
Environmental Risks
"We are concerned about the proximity of the field to a sensitive Marine Protected Area (MPA), the non-compatibility of fossil fuel expansion to global climate goals, and inadequate decarbonisation plans by the company," says RimbaWatch director Adam Farhan.
Moreover, the public deserves to know the amount of additional planet-warming greenhouse gases (GHGs) the project will emit and how the proponent proposes to mitigate its impact on the MPA. The location of the proposed project is near the Miri-Sibuti Coral Reef National Park, a marine protected area off the coast of Sarawak, making its biodiversity vulnerable to acoustic impact from exploration activities, damage to the seabed, and discharge from drilling.
Past Incidents
RimbaWatch also highlighted the risks associated with the extraction of fossil fuels, citing past incidents such as the sinking of the MT Princess Empress and the collision of a ship with an oil rig in Sarawak.
Decarbonisation Strategy
RimbaWatch expressed concern over the planned extraction of fossil fuels from the Baram Junior field, questioning how it is aligned with Malaysia’s emissions pathway to achieve net-zero by 2050. The group is seeking written evidence that the development of the Baram Junior field will be consistent with the net-zero target. It also claims that the project’s proponent lacks a credible decarbonisation strategy, with short-term decarbonisation actions including rooftop solar, cloud data storage, and LED lighting being unrelated to the decarbonisation of lifecycle fossil fuel emissions.
Call to Action
RimbaWatch urges the public to demand transparency from the government and the project’s proponent, calling for the full EIA report to be made publicly available. The group believes that the environment department should prioritize the protection of the environment and the well-being of the people of Sarawak.
FAQs
Q: What is the Baram Junior cluster?
A: The Baram Junior cluster is a proposed fossil fuel exploration project off the coast of Sarawak.
Q: Why is RimbaWatch concerned about the EIA?
A: RimbaWatch is concerned about the lack of transparency in the EIA, as it only provides the title and date of submission, contradicting the department’s EIA guidelines.
Q: What are the environmental risks associated with the project?
A: The project poses a high environmental risk due to its proximity to a sensitive Marine Protected Area, the non-compatibility of fossil fuel expansion to global climate goals, and inadequate decarbonisation plans by the company.