Izah Azahari
As an energy-producing company, Brunei LNG has always seen itself as playing a crucial role in the journey towards decarbonisation, to support Brunei in its 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) commitments, as well as assist its customers in the region with decarbonisation targets.
This was shared by Brunei LNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hajah Farida binti Dato Seri Paduka Haji Talib in an interview yesterday during the Brunei Business Conference 2023 at The Empire Brunei.
She added that natural gas remains a cleaner fuel compared to coal, and the company’s focus is on making it accessible, affordable, and sustainable.
As one of the main sponsors of the Brunei Business Conference 2023, Hajah Farida shared that there are two important aspects to consider in order to foster closer integration between economic forums such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and ASEAN, and the businesses on the ground.
The first aspect was to create a common language between these forums and local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), helping the latter to understand the intent and objectives of these forums and how they can benefit from them, said the managing director and CEO.
Hajah Farida believed the company can play a key role in being the voice of the local business community.
The second aspect she highlighted was to identify and unlock opportunities in the region, taking into account the context of post-COVID economic discussions around energy security, food security, and other related areas, specifically looking at what opportunities are available in Brunei and how to leverage them to the country’s advantage.
“This year, the integration of both APEC and ASEAN forums provides an excellent opportunity to have these conversations and explore ways to unlock the potential of the region,” said Hajah Farida.
The managing director and CEO believes that businesses need to clean up their operations to remain sustainable and competitive in a world where a cleaner climate is becoming more important.
She also emphasised the need for local businesses to have informal discussions around what they can do to support the green economy, rather than waiting for economic forums to bring up the topic.
Meanwhile, she emphasised the importance of collaboration among energy businesses in managing emissions, which can bring about opportunities to work together towards a sustainable future.
“I hope that this conference will help us to identify the most promising projects, ideas, or opportunities in areas such as food security, sustainability and energy transition.
“I would like the forums to facilitate strategic partnerships between international players and micro-SMEs across regional economies to realise these goals.”
