An agreement signed between the Kelantan government and a private company on the initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) did not meet the conditions of the United Nations (UN) framework for convention on climate change (UNFCCC).

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the agreement also contravened the conditions set by the UN.

"The mechanism is based on financing principle for the amount of greenhouse gas emission reduced and does not involve market mechanism," he said in a media statement in Putrajaya yesterday.

In this regard, he said all state governments had been urged to obtain further information on REDD initiative from the ministry's Environmental Management and Climate Change Division by calling 03-88861140 or sending email to [email protected] to ensure the authenticity of information on REDD initiative.

Recently, the first Malaysian carbon credit company, Climate Change Protector (CCP) Sdn Bhd, was reported to have forged cooperation with the Kelantan state government on REDD initiative.

According to the report, the company has allocated 396,000 hectares of forest or 25 percent of the land area in the state to be protected, hence reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.

The company, which specialises in renewable and sustainable energy, obtained the project through the REDD initiative with the Kelantan government, involving a concession period of 30 years.

Wan Junaidi said the REDD mechanism was implemented at national level and being monitored by the REDD National Committee comprising representatives from State Economic Planning Units (UPEN) and the State Forestry Departments.

"I want to stress that REDD is an initiative fully recognised by UNFCCC and it is hoped that it would not be jeopardised by unethical activities by certain irresponsible individuals," he said.

According to him, the ministry was working to obtain Results-Based Payments (RBP) through Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The RBP fund will be utilised by the federal and state governments to implement REDD programmes, said Wan Junaidi.

- Bernama