Minister of Development Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Muhammad Juanda bin Haji Abdul Rashid highlighted progress under the government’s ‘Clean Nation and Green Earth’ aspiration during the fifth day of the First Meeting of the 22 Session of the Legislative Council yesterday.
Responding to a query from Legislative Council member Mohammad Abdullah @ Lim Swee Ann, the minister said the initiative encompasses a range of programmes and strategic measures implemented by the government and stakeholders, with progress monitored through annual reports and evaluated against established key performance indicators (KPls).
Among the key achievements under the 2025/2026 financial year allocation, the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe) has implemented initiatives covering solid waste management, air and water quality monitoring, and pollution reduction nationwide.
“These include continuous waste cleaning projects in the Brunei River, the installation of CCTVs at 20 locations across all districts to combat illegal dumping at hotspot areas, and upgrades to waste collection sites with LED or solar lighting and improved signage,” he said.
Other initiatives include the installation of air quality monitoring equipment and progress in the planning of a Waste-to-Energy plant through the Request for Quotation (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Environmental awareness programmes are also ongoing, including the Eco Food Waste Initiative (EFWI), Recycling Day activities and awareness sessions on the Household Waste Collection Service in residential areas such as Kampong Rimba.
The minister added that other agencies, including the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) and the Department of Energy, are contributing through tree planting, forest conservation and biodiversity protection projects.
“To date, 97,995 trees have been planted. Furthermore, renewable energy projects, particularly solar energy initiatives, aim to reduce carbon footprints, promote clean energy use and contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment,” he said.
The minister also outlined KPIs used to measure the effectiveness of environmental programmes implemented by JASTRe.
“Key achievements include 100 per cent of days with good air quality (PSI below 50), per percent of main rivers achieving a good Water Quality Index, and a recycling rate of 23.1 per cent, exceeding the tar-get. These percentages are used to evaluate the effectiveness of solid waste management,” he said.
Meanwhile, KPls under the Brunei Climate Change Office measure progress in reducing carbon emissions.
“For 2024, the country successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions beyond the Business As Usual target, from 17.13 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) to 14.99 million tonnes of CO2 , achieving 87.5 per cent of the target.
“This achievement is the result of a whole-of-nation approach, with collaboration between stakeholders, including relevant industries, to drive the climate change agenda,” he added.
(news source: Borneo Bulletin; pic source: Info Foto, Jabatan Penerangan)
