SINGAPORE: Singapore and Sarawak today announced that they will cooperate on mutual interests in carbon capture and storage as well as carbon credits.

A joint workgroup will be set up for policy exchanges and to identify potential projects for implementation, according to Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI).

The ministry noted that its Second Minister Dr Tan See Leng and Premier of Sarawak Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg met today on the sidelines of Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW).

"Singapore and Sarawak enjoy longstanding relations," said Tan in a statement issued here.

"The workgroup reaffirms our commitment to collaborate with like-minded partners in areas of mutual interest such as carbon capture and storage and carbon credits. International cooperation is critical to promote regional and global climate action to achieve the Paris Agreement goals," he said.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari said the partnership will set a precedent for how international cooperation can work together to accelerate the transition to clean, green energy and more sustainable future.

"The partnership is about supporting our economies while also addressing the global battle against climate change.

"We need to rethink our approach to development in the context of a rapidly warming and increasingly interconnected planet. This international collaboration is a ground-breaking step going forward and I look forward to successful cooperation," he said.

In the same statement, the ministry said Singapore and Sarawak share a longstanding relationship and "our trade and investment have grown over the years in areas such as agriculture".

"Climate change and sustainability is a new area of cooperation and the workgroup on carbon capture and storage and carbon credits is a reflection of that," said the ministry.

-- BERNAMA