An Exclusive Interview with Prof. Azlizam bin Aziz, Dean Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FHAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia
AS Malaysia strengthens its emission targets under the Paris Agreement and advances toward its Net Zero 2050 vision, the Faculty of Forestry and Environment (FHAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), is emerging as a national leader in carbon science and Nature-Based Solutions.
To institutionalise this direction, FHAS created the Carbon Management Unit and expanded collaborations with Fairatmos, South Pole, and Maharani Energy Gateway, while working with PETRONAS, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, and University of São Paulo (USP) on the Blue Carbon Collective at Sungai Santi, Johor.
The faculty is also evaluating a flagship carbon project in SISFEC (formerly Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve) and engaging key agencies to introduce Ecosystem Services Payments in Malaysia.
In the following interview, Prof Azlizam Aziz, Dean of the FHAS, explains how the faculty aligns with national carbon policies and supports Malaysia’s climate goals.
Q1. How does FHAS position itself within Malaysia’s broader climate commitments, including the updated NDC and Net Zero 2050 roadmap?
Prof Azlizam: FHAS recognises that Malaysia’s climate trajectory is entering a decisive decade particularly with the enhanced NDC, the upcoming Climate Change Act, and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).
Our mission is to support these ambitions by providing scientific guidance, trained professionals, and robust datasets for informed decision making.
The establishment of the Carbon Management Unit enables us to consolidate expertise across forestry, ecology, GIS, carbon accounting, and remote sensing.
We aim to be a national reference centre for Nature-Based Solutions, ensuring that forest carbon assessments, MRV protocols, and project baselines are grounded in Malaysian ecosystems and our decades of forest research.
Q2. What role does the Carbon Management Unit (CMU) play in Malaysia’s emerging carbon market landscape?
Prof Azlizam: The CMU acts as the faculty’s operational arm for carbon projects. We support baseline inventory, biomass estimation, soil carbon studies, and feasibility analyses for REDD+, Improved Forest Management (IFM), Blue Carbon, and Peatland Restoration initiatives.
As carbon markets mature—both voluntary and compliance based the need for verified, defensible scientific outputs become critical. CMU fills that gap by ensuring that any project aligned with FHAS and UPM adheres to rigorous standards.
At the same time, we introduce students and researchers to hands on carbon methodologies, helping to build Malaysia’s next generation of carbon professionals.
Q3. FHAS recently collaborated with Fairatmos, South Pole, and Maharani Energy Gateway. What do these partnerships aim to achieve?
Prof Azlizam: Each collaboration serves a different but complementary purpose. With Fairatmos, we are exploring capacity building and project incubation pathways for local carbon developers, especially in community led conservation.
South Pole brings global expertise in high integrity carbon project development providing insights into methodologies, risks, governance, and credit certification.
With Maharani Energy Gateway, we focus on integrating ecosystem based carbon work with emerging industrial decarbonisation efforts.
Collectively, these collaborations strengthen our ability to explore Malaysian specific solutions while benchmarking ourselves against global best practices.
Q4. SISFEC (formerly Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve) has been mentioned as a potential FHAS led carbon project. Why was this area chosen?
Prof Azlizam: SISFEC is one of the most intensively studied forest areas in Malaysia. For decades, it has served as a living laboratory for forest ecology, silviculture, biodiversity, and forest management research.
Its proximity to UPM also allows us to monitor biomass changes, forest structure, and ecological processes with exceptional precision.
Developing SISFEC into a pilot carbon project aligns perfectly with our academic and conservation mandate.
It can become a national showcase demonstrating how universities can simultaneously protect forest resources, generate carbon credits, and produce high-quality research outputs that inform national policy.
Q5. How is FHAS contributing to Malaysia’s pursuit of high integrity Nature-Based Solutions (NBS)?
Prof Azlizam: Our contribution lies in science and governance. We support NBS by improving biomass equations, refining forest growth models, assessing degradation patterns, and integrating GIS and remote sensing into carbon monitoring.
Recent work on AGB change detection, mangrove biomass, and peatland hydrology equips policymakers with accurate baselines.
FHAS researchers are also active contributors to national technical committees, ensuring that NBS guidelines reflect Malaysian realities, not generic international assumptions. Our approach places integrity, transparency, and ecological credibility at the centre of NBS expansion.
Q6. Blue Carbon is gaining attention globally. What is the significance of the Blue Carbon Collective at Sungai Santi, Johor?
Prof Azlizam: The Blue Carbon Collective is one of the most meaningful collaborations we have embarked on.
Working alongside PETRONAS, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, and University of São Paulo (USP), we are advancing science on mangrove restoration, carbon sequestration, and coastal ecosystem resilience.
Sungai Santi provides a real-world laboratory where corporate partners, researchers, and international experts co-develop solutions.
This project not only deepens Malaysia’s blue carbon knowledge but sets a foundation for scaling coastal carbon initiatives nationwide.
It also reinforces Malaysia’s contribution to global blue carbon discussions as we progress toward the 2050 target.
Q7. How does FHAS track Malaysia’s evolving carbon policy such as the National Carbon Policy, Climate Change Bill, and state-level frameworks?
Prof Azlizam: We closely monitor policy development through inter-agency engagements, national working groups, and technical consultations with ministries, state forestry departments, and federal agencies.
FHAS researchers provide expert reviews for draft policies and participate in dialogues related to the Climate Change Bill and the domestication of carbon market regulations.
Our goal is not only to observe policy but to help shape it through evidence-driven recommendations.
Through ongoing collaborations with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), academic institutions, and industry, we ensure that FHAS maintains an active voice in Malaysia’s carbon governance architecture.
Q8. FHAS is engaging national and international agencies on Payments Ecosystem Services (PES). What is the faculty’s strategy for this?
Prof Azlizam: Payments Ecosystem Servicesrepresent the next frontier of conservation financing. Our strategy focuses on three pillars:
(1) establishing scientific methodologies that link ecosystem functions like biodiversity, hydrology, soil stability to measurable service units;
(2) supporting pilot projects with state and federal partners; and
(3) building institutional infrastructure that makes PES mechanisms transparent and credible. We are engaging with international organisations to explore valuation frameworks, while at the national level, we advise agencies on integrating PES within state forest management plans. PES can unlock new financial pathways for conservation, especially for areas beyond traditional carbon markets.
Q9. How is FHAS training students and young professionals to support Malaysia’s 2050 Net Zero goals?
Prof Azlizam: We recognise that achieving Net Zero requires a workforce skilled in carbon monitoring, modelling, policy analysis, and environmental governance.
FHAS has integrated carbon-related coursework into forestry and environmental programmes, expanded field training modules, and introduced hands-on experience through the Carbon Management Unit.
Our students participate in forest inventories, carbon feasibility studies, and GIS-based carbon modelling.
Through global partnerships, we also expose them to international methodologies, climate finance mechanisms, and corporate sustainability practices.
Ultimately, FHAS is shaping graduates who can serve government, industry, and academia with equal competence.
Q10. Looking ahead, what is your vision for FHAS as Malaysia accelerates its climate action?
Prof Azlizam: Our vision is to position FHAS as the national hub for forest carbon science, climate resilience research, and ecosystem service innovation.
As Malaysia accelerates toward Net Zero 2050, FHAS will support the nation with credible science, trained professionals, and high-integrity project models.
We want SISFEC to become Malaysia’s flagship academic carbon project, and we aim to strengthen our role in shaping policy and supporting state-driven carbon initiatives.
Through sustained partnerships with local communities, industry leaders, and global institutions, FHAS will continue to ensure that Malaysia’s climate strategy rests on strong scientific foundations.
The Faculty of Forestry and Environment, UPM is positioning itself at the forefront of Malaysia’s climate transition. Through the Carbon Management Unit, international collaborations, cutting-edge research and a strong commitment to national policy alignment, FHAS is shaping the scientific backbone of Malaysia’s Net Zero aspirations.
From SISFEC’s potential carbon project to the ambitious Blue Carbon Collective in Johor, the faculty’s initiatives reflect a clear vision: to integrate Malaysian forest science with global climate innovation and deliver solutions that match the urgency of our decade.
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DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at khanwaseem@upm.edu.my.
