Sabah’s Successes in Advancing Climate Resilience, Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods

Sabah’s leadership in sustainable landscape management remains strong and resilient. As at 2025, 27 percent or two million hectares of the land are gazetted as Totally Protected Areas (TPA). By end of 2025, the TPA will reached the 30 percent target. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor shared his thoughts and vision during the opening of the International Conference on “Borneo’s Green Heart: Advancing Climate Resilience, Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods” on 22 October 2025 at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu.

Hajiji said that Sabah’s Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Project or FOLUR initiative covers 2.38 million hectares across 12 districts, benefiting more than 54,000 people. The FOLUR Project aims to restore 150,000 hectares of forest; to rehabilitate 50,000 hectares of degraded agricultural land; to improve management of two million hectares of agricultural land; and to prevent the loss of 14,000 hectares of high conservation value forests. FOLUR’s joint efforts with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the UNDP are expected to sequester 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The State Government formulated the Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025 which led to the establishment of the Sabah Climate Action Council; a Climate Registry and Inventory Centre; and the Sabah Climate Fund. Following the concerted efforts, the State Government amended key legislation, including the Sabah Land Ordinance, to recognise carbon storage and embed climate action across the state’s governance systems.

“Challenges remain, from building institutional capacity and ensuring enforcement, to securing funding and creating real impact on the ground. With strong political will, community partnership, and good governance, we can achieve and overcome. Protecting nature is not a burden, but a responsibility and an opportunity,” Hajiji said.

The Federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability has given RM60 million to Sabah for the HoB initiative since 2009.

Datuk Norlijah Danin, Deputy State Secretary, delivered Hajiji’s speech.