The Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) has set up a trust fund on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) for contributions derived from the Malaysian Airlines Voluntary Carbon Offset Scheme (VCOS) for the management, continued protection and rehabilitation of the South-East Pahang Peat Swamp Forest (SEPPSF).
The Ministry’s Undersecretary, Dr Lian Kok Fei, received the cheque for the first VCOS contribution totalling RM80,000 from Malaysian Airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dato’ Sri Idris Jala at a ceremony held on 12 January 2009 at the Malaysian Airlines Academy in Kelana Jaya.
Kicked off in June 2008, the scheme provides Malaysian Airlines, its customers as well as corporate partners with the opportunity to participate in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Dato’ Sri Idris said 50% of the VCOS contributors were Malaysians while the rest, mainly from Europe, Australia and the United States, adding that this reflected the growing number of environmentally-conscious Malaysians.
Travellers logging on to MAS Booking system can type in the origin and destination of their flight and calculate how much heat-trapping carbon dioxide they are responsible for releasing into the environment. The opportunity to offset travels is also available for MASwings and Firefly passengers.
