KUALA LUMPUR, 13 September 2025: EXIM Bank Malaysia has become the country’s first financial institution to support a certified carbon sink project, following its collaborative C-Sink biochar initiative with Wild Asia, which has secured international recognition under Carbon Standards International.

Certified by third-party verifier CERES, the project unlocks the issuance of C-Sink Carbon Removal Credits, marking a breakthrough in Malaysia’s push for credible, high-integrity climate solutions. Awarded on May 28, 2025, the certification runs through December 2026.

At its core, the C-Sink project transforms agricultural biomass into biochar, a low-tech but powerful tool for carbon sequestration.

Using Wild Asia’s community-driven Centralised BIO Transformation Units (CBTU), smallholder farmers in Sabah convert palm residues into biochar, locking carbon in soils for centuries while boosting fertility, water retention and farm resilience.

“This certification is a major step forward in our commitment to sustainability and innovation. It not only helps us meet climate goals but empowers smallholders, creates green jobs and builds a regenerative future for agriculture,” EXIM Bank Malaysia CEO Datuk Nurbayu Kasim Chang said.

The pilot has already generated seven verified credits, with capacity to scale to 100 annually, and projections of 200-300 tonnes of CO2 removals per CBTU each year by 2027. Each CBTU engages up to 150 farmers and supports up to 50ha of farmland.

Wild Asia’s founder Dr Reza Azmi called the project a “farmer-centred model for carbon removal”, proving that low-cost, community-led solutions can deliver climate impact with global credibility. — BUSINESS TODAY