Biography

Dr. Kho Lip Khoon is Head of the Corporate Development and Economy Division at the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Sarawak, a role he has held since 2023. He holds a D.Phil. in Geography and the Environment from the University of Oxford, an M.Sc. in Soil Chemistry from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Environment from Universiti Putra Malaysia — a foundation that shapes his expertise across climate change, carbon management, environmental sustainability, renewable energy, and tropical ecosystem science.

His research career spans peat ecosystems, oil palm plantations, and carbon dynamics in Bornean tropical forests, published widely in scientific journals and supported by grants and awards totaling more than RM10 million. He previously served as Head of Sector, Environment and Sustainability Development at the Economic Planning Unit Sarawak (2021–2022), and as Head of Unit/Senior Research Officer at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board's Peat Ecosystem and Biodiversity Unit (2011–2021), alongside earlier appointments at the IPCC Technical Support Unit and the Forest Research Institute Malaysia.

In his current role, Dr. Kho shapes Sarawak's sustainable development agenda — leading the establishment of climate change mitigation and carbon trading mechanisms, driving renewable energy adoption with a focus on the hydrogen economy, and championing policies for a vibrant green economy and bioeconomy. He works closely with local and international stakeholders to advance Sarawak's environmental sustainability efforts on a global scale.