We're thrilled to announce a big victory today with our friends in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. Today, the Chief Minister of Sabah announced that plans for a new coal fired powered plant will be scrapped in favor of renewable energy!
In a press statement today, the Minister announced:
"The Prime Minister understands that one of Sabah's greatest assets is its natural attractions and still somewhat pristine environment. While Sabah needs to increase power supply to meet increasing development, the state cannot afford to put its natural environment at risk.
As a responsible government, it is paramount that we put priority on protecting our environment for the well-being of the people. We must also protect the environment especially since its one of biggest tourism draw in the Sabah."
For the last year, a coalition of organizations and local residents have been fighting to prevent the construction of a new coal fired power plant in Sabah. The location for the coal plant couldn't have been worse: in the rainforest, next to a beach bordering one of the most pristine coral ecosystem in the world, and home many families who depended on the ocean for their livelihoods.
350.org got involved in the fight to stop the plant after hearing about the effort from Cynthia Ong, one of the incredible lead organizers in Sabah. We did what we could to help, working to get international media attention from outlets like Huffington Post, spreading the word on social media, participating in solidarity events in places like California, and highlighting events in Sabah as part of the 10/10/10 Global Work Party.
The real work happened on the ground in Sabah, though. Congratulations to all the organizers there for their hard work! This is a victory that's felt all around the world and the perfect way to kick off another year of people powered movement with 350.org.