Low Carbon News in Thailand in August 2013
A. News
Thailand’s draft climate change master plan 2013 – 2050
The preparation of Thailand’s draft climate change master plan 2013 – 2050 is nearly completed. Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), has organized a public hearing at the Pathumwan Princess hotel, Bangkok, on 24 June 2013. The draft plan is also available for online access and public hearing on ONEP’s website. Comments from all sectors including experts, researchers, relevant government officers and any interested individuals could be submitted to “Climate Change Management and Coordination Division” via either post or email until 30 August 2013.
The master plan is designed to be a national framework of integrated policies and action plans relating to climate change. The current draft comprises 3 main strategies: (1) Adaptation to climate change, (2) Greenhouse gas mitigation and green growth, and (3) Capacity building for climate change response. A vision statement of 2050 says “Thailand is well protected from climate change, and has low-carbon development in accordance with sufficiency economy philosophy”.
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B. Ongoing Low-Carbon Research Activities / Projects
Low Carbon Development Planning for Ethiopia, Jordan, Peru and Thailand
This project is demonstrating the feasibility of green economic development paths and the need for corresponding, comprehensive strategies in developing countries. It aims at supporting Ethiopia, Jordan, Peru and Thailand in specific efforts for developing and implementing low emission development strategies (LEDS). Good practices will be shared and communicated to inform ongoing global activities on LEDS and a green economy.
Project activities include analyzing mitigation opportunities in various sectors to provide the basis for formulating strategies, developing systems for implementation and MRV, and providing technical training to project partners. The work for Thailand is still under consideration. Common features in all countries will be the macro- and microeconomic analyses of low-carbon development options, as well as policy and carbon finance recommendations on the one hand, and capacity development measures and stakeholder involvement on the other.
Implementing Organization: Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)
Funding is from the Federal Ministry for the Environment (Germany – BMU). The budget is up to 5,000,000 € for all countries. Working duration is August 2011 – December 2014
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Research Development and Co-ordination Center for Global Warming and Climate Change (TGLOB)
The Thailand Research Fund (TRF), one of the largest research funding agency in Thailand, listed details of climate change research projects (both completed and on-going) it has supported on its website (link shown below). Though written in Thai, executive summary or abstract of all reports are available in English.
One example for the successful TRF initiatives is the “Research Development and Co-ordination Center for Global Warming and Climate Change (TGLOB) (http://climatechange.jgsee.org/v2/)”. The center compiles climate change information and research findings particularly those scientific-based and acts as a national knowledge center on climate change. The center brings together researchers conducting studies and synthesizing information that support climate-change policies. Currently, the center co-ordinate 13 projects.
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http://www.trf.or.th/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=233
C. Publications & Online Resources
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Policy Review for Low Carbon Town Development Project in Koh Samui Thailand. June 2013.
http://aperc.ieej.or.jp/file/2013/8/21/LCMT2_PolicyReviewReport_Samui.pdf
- The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Center of Excellence on Energy Technology and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonbur; Regional Environmental Office 10, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Khon Kaen Municipality; Kyoto University; NIES, AIM team, IGES, Mizuho Information and Research Institute. Khon Kaen – Towards Low Carbon Society. July 2013. http://2050.nies.go.jp/LCS/eng/list.html
- Aumnad Phdunsilp and Teeradej Wuttipornpun. Analyses of the decarbonizing Thailand’s energy system toward low-carbon futures. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Volume 24, August 2013, Pages 187–197.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032113002098