KUCHING: All Sarawakians should start to understand climate change and the global warming that hits the earth, said Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said an event such as Earth Hour is so important because it creates awareness not just in other places in the world but also in Sarawak.
“And we notice that this year Sarawak had many floods as a result of climate change.
“And whether we like it or not, the climate change is no longer just in foreign countries so far from us; it also happened here in Sarawak) and will be here to stay.
“Whether the climate change will continue to improve or continue to get worse, it depends on everyone of us who live on this planet,” he said.
Thus, he said, Sarawak, where basically 66 per cent of the land is still forested, can contribute a lot to improving climate change.
“We can contribute as we have 750 million metric tonnes of carbon stocks and 30 trillion cubic metres of storage space for carbon.
“So I urge all Sarawakians to start understanding climate change, global warming, and the potential that Sarawak can have in improving global climate change.
“At the same time, it is for Sarawakians to make use of this chance to capture the business and financial opportunities that we have,” he said at the Kuching South City Council’s (MBKS) Earth Hour Sarawak 2023 event last night (March 25).
Meanwhile, MBKS mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the event, which was joined by other local councils, shopping malls, hotels, and private companies, created an initial powerful movement that delivered a strong global commitment to tackling climate change.
“I think this is a starting point, and the one-hour lights out should continue to be the symbol of a broader commitment towards the nature of our planet.
“Now of course the vision is always to do more, so that will be making this light switch the beginning of our journey,” he said.
Wee then said that, as informed by Sarawak Energy, the utility company started to monitor the electricity loading from 8pm until 9.30pm.
“The load reduction for Kuching is 8 megawatts (MW), which means carbon dioxide (CO₂) is reduced by 2,400 kilogrammes (kg) within this period.
“For Sarawak as a whole (except Limbang and Lawas), the load reduction is 33MW. It means a CO₂ reduction of 9,900kg within this period,” he added.
Among the participating local councils were Padawan Municipal Council (PMC), Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (KSMC), Miri City Council (MCC), Sibu Municipal Council (SMC), and Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC).
Among the participating places and buildings are MBKS city hall, MBKS community hall, Taman Kuching, Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre, Stutong Community Market, and Friendship Park.
Farley Shopping Mall, Ibraco Office, Everrise Shopping Mall, Chagee at Friendship Park, Kuching Park Hotel, Imperial Hotel, and Kingwood Hotel also participated in the event.
