Malaysia
MALAYSIA PUSHES FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO REDUCE SMOG
09/23/2019
Update Volume
49
Update Issue
26

On September 19, Malaysia announced it will push Southeast Asian nations to find a long-term solution for regional smog haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia. Malaysian Environmental Minister Yeo Bee Yin told reporters, “We hope there will be a more effective mechanism at the ASEAN level so that we can cooperate to seek a long-term solution to address this problem.” Malaysia is also considering a new law to punish any of its companies responsible for starting fires.

SEVERAL SPECIES RECORDED FOR FIRST TIME IN MALAYSIAN RAINFOREST
01/08/2018
Update Volume
48
Update Issue
1

For the first time ever, scientists have surveyed the rainforest of Penang Hill comprehensively. The 130-million-year old forest is believed to have never been cut before and has remained largely unexplored. Among the exciting discoveries is a potentially new species of “ghost” scorpion. A 117-member team climbed tall trees, searched the forest floor, and scoured the dark to discover many animals and plants. They recorded more than 1,400 species, including four likely new to science.

MALAYSIA CLAIMS EU RESOLUTION COULD HARM PALM OIL EXPORTS
04/10/2017
Update Volume
47
Update Issue
11

Earlier this month, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of a non-binding resolution for a single Certified Sustainable Palm Oil scheme. The resolution calls for greater vetting of palm and other vegetable oils to ensure that these oils are produced without causing deforestation. The vote comes in reaction to environmental groups, which have campaigned to raise attention to the harmful impacts that unsustainable palm oil can have on the environment and on climate mitigation efforts.

SARAWAK SETS ASIDE 2.2 MILLION ACRES OF PROTECTED RAINFOREST
08/29/2016
Update Volume
46
Update Issue
24

Sarawak, a state on the Malaysian side of Borneo, has assigned 2.2 million acres of rainforest the status of national park, natural reserve, and wildlife sanctuary. Chief Minister Adenan Satem pledged to protect tropical forests last year and has since ensured that all of the state’s orangutan habitats are contained by the new protected areas. Thirty-one additional totally protected areas (TPAs) are being created and will be managed by a new Department of National Parks and Wildlife that will open by January 2017.

MALAYSIAN PALM OIL COMPANY CHALLENGES CERTIFICATION SUSPENSION
05/16/2016
Update Volume
46
Update Issue
14

The Malaysian palm oil giant IOI Group has filed a lawsuit against the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. RSPO suspended IOI Group’s sustainability certificate in March for causing suspected environmental harm in Indonesia. IOI can no longer sell the RSPO-brand “Certified Sustainable Palm Oil”—a brand preferred by certain companies. IOI Group says that it has been “unfairly affected” by the suspension of its certificate. Large companies such as Unilever, Kellogg, and Nestlé canceled contracts with IOI.

IOI CENSURED BY INDUSTRY GROUP FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS
04/11/2011
Update Volume
41
Update Issue
11

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry body promoting eco-friendly palm oil, has censured IOI Corp., Malaysia's second largest planter. A grievance panel investigated and found breaches of membership obligations after environmental activists accused IOI of draining peatlands and engaging in land disputes with local communities in Sarawak. The company has 28 days to deliver a proposal to resolve standing issues.

IOI Censured by Industry Group for Environmental Violations
04/11/2011

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry body promoting eco-friendly palm oil, has censured IOI Corp., Malaysia's second largest planter. A grievance panel investigated and found breaches of membership obligations after environmental activists accused IOI of draining peatlands and engaging in land disputes with local communities in Sarawak. The company has 28 days to deliver a proposal to resolve standing issues.

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