Danial Norjidi
On April 22, the world including the Sultanate commemorates Earth Day, a platform for the global society to show their support and take part in preserving the earth and advancing steps towards sustainable environment.
This was shared by Permanent Secretary (Planning, Land Use and Environment) at the Ministry of Development (MoD) Dr Nor Imtihan binti Haji Abdul Razak in a message in conjunction with Earth Day 2023.
In the message, the permanent secretary noted that the theme for this year’s Earth Day, ‘Invest in Our Planet’, is a continuation of the 2022 theme. “This shows that the collective efforts among governments, private sectors, civil societies as well as individuals, in keeping the planet’s well-being must be carried out continuously and on a long-term basis, so as to ensure the planet can be safely inhabited and enjoyed by the future generation.”
She also highlighted that the ‘whole-of-nation’ approach is synonymous with the country as it is the most effective approach chosen by the nation in realising any development. This, she explained, includes the efforts taken by the country to keep the environment clean, green and safe, which is one of the main measures to achieve high quality of life – a goal of the Brunei Vision 2035.
“The most basic course of action collectively being done by the whole country is keeping its environment clean,” said the permanent secretary.
“The government has and will continue to ensure the provision of public facilities and services such as providing waste bins and waste collection, while the private sector has been actively organising cleaning campaigns and funding cleanliness-related programmes.”
“At the same time, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the youth are taking advantage of current technologies and digital opportunities to help in raising public awareness on the importance of safeguarding the environment,” she continued.
“With the enactment of the Environmental Protection and Management Order 2016, it is hoped that environmental pollution could be prevented and minimised.”
The permanent secretary further said that since its entry into force, more and more industries and new developments have incorporated environmental consideration into their planning and taken mitigative and preventive measures against pollution, such as conducting Environmental Impact Assessment and devising Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan.
“Paving the way for sustainability, a range of programmes and initiatives have been conducted by various stakeholders, which are being supported by one another.”
Sharing an example, the permanent secretary said that the government’s No Plastic Bag Everyday Initiative has received encouraging support from retailers and department stores while also seeing active participation by the public, as shown by the use of reusable bags when shopping.
Another initiative she mentioned is a sapling-planting activity that has seen a number of collaborations among the government, private sector, educational institutions and other organisations.
In addition, the permanent secretary noted that the Brunei Darussalam National Climate Change Policy (BNCCP) launched in 2020 has set a target of planting 500,000 new trees by 2035, and shared that, to date, nearly 80,000 trees have been planted nationwide.
She highlighted that these collective efforts must not only be done continuously, but that they also have to be enhanced and advanced, so that the green investment made by the current population would pass down a sustainable and equitable future to the next generation.
“As a conclusion, to welcome the month of Syawal, the ministry urges each and every one to inculcate and practice green habits in celebrating the festivity of Hari Raya Aidilfitri – avoid providing plastic cutleries; collect beverage cans for recycling; and do not discard home furniture that are still in good condition,” she added.
Meanwhile, according to EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), Earth Day engages more than one billion people every year and has become a major stepping stone along the pathway of engagement around the protection of the planet.
In a press statement announcing the Earth Day 2023 theme of ‘Invest in Our Planet’, the EDO explained that the theme acts as a continuation of last year’s well-received campaign, and “is focussed on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than one billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part”.