Low Carbon News in Thailand in February 2014
U.S. Ambassador to Visit Chiang Mai Work Green City
(22 January 2014)
Kristie Kenney, U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, visited the smart community named “Chiang Mai World Green City” of the Asian Development Institute for Community Economy and Technology (adiCET), Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. It is the first of its kind for Thailand-U.S. collaboration in the Southeast Asia. The smart community utilizes solely renewable energy to feed houses, offices, restaurants, convenient stores, coffee shops and garden inside the community. This smart community was initially developed from a project called “DC power grid” sponsored by U.S. Office of Naval Research, which investigate the performance, efficiency, stability and safety of a 25.5 kW DC solar power. The community also has a 25 kW AC microgrid and a 20 kW biomass gasifier to produce electricity. The latter two systems are parts of the “Low Carbon Community” research project sponsored by the Energy Policy and Planning Office, Ministry of Energy, Thailand. This integrated renewable energy system can produce 250 kWh/day while the community needs only 125 kWh/day for its daily life. The surplus is fed to the university grid and consequently lowers electricity bill by about 15,000 bht/month. Researchers continue investigating on the stability of renewable energy system, economics and electricity trading scheme in the community. They aim to develop this community to be a successful role model for sustainable renewable energy community.
Source:
http://www.chiangmainews.co.th/page/?p=245432
The Federation of Thai Industries signed MOU with 35 Factories on compiling “Carbon Footprint for Organization (CFO)”
(23-24 January 2014)
The Industrial Environment Institute of the Federation of Thai Industries together with Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public organization) (TGO) has signed MOU with 35 high energy intensity factories in Thailand on compiling Carbon Footprint for Organization (CFO) or Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF). By collecting data and reporting CFO, hot spots emitting greenhouse gases could be identified, followed and analyzed for appropriate mitigation options. Furthermore, it aims to prepare Thai industries for Emission Trading Scheme if Thailand commits to any reduction target in the future. Measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system was established and expected to be practiced by all participating industries. The duration for this project is November 2013 – October 2014.
Source:
hhttp://www.iei.or.th/ns-project_read-proj_id-NTE=.htm
Kingdom’s emissions still on the rise
(2 February 2014)
According to the UN Escap’s Statistical Yearbook for Asia-Pacific 2013, Thailand’s greenhouse gas per capita has risen from 3.7 tonnes to 6.2 tonnes over 10 years from 1990, which is slightly above the average of 6.1 tonnes in Asia-Pacific, but lower than the global average of 7.1 tonnes. In 2010, Asia-Pacific’s developed countries average 13.5 tonnes, while developing countries in the region average 5.8 tonnes, or 6.5 if China and India are excluded. Though Thailand’s greenhouse gas emissions per capita remained under the global average from 1990-2010, the country has seen a continued increase in the emission level. Asia-Pacific was the only region that witnessed a continued increase, while other parts of the world led by Europe managed to bring down emissions. However, several countries in Asia-Pacific – including Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Tuvalu – have introduced voluntary targets to reduce CO2 emissions in absolute amounts or to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
Source:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Kingdoms-emissions-still-on-the-rise-30225457.html
Webinar on the Fundamentals of Greenhouse Gas Registries
(4 February 2014)
At the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand, experts from the USAID Low Emissions Asian Development (USAID LEAD) program discussed the fundamentals and global best practices of corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting programs with 24 officials from Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (Public organization) (TGO). The USAID LEAD program and TGO are cooperating to jointly develop a greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting program for businesses and organizations in Thailand, which will serve as a foundation for TGO and the USAID LEAD program to assist other countries in the region to establish their own registries. Via webinar from Vancouver, Canada, experts from The Climate Registry, a USAID program partner and leading international organization involved in the development and administration of GHG registries, shared the concepts and application of GHG reporting systems. Participants explored topics including the benefits of corporate GHG reporting; corporate GHG reporting program design principles and components, such as measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV); and the principles of GHG accounting. Thailand is well-positioned to lead GHG registry development in the region thanks to its domestic carbon market readiness programs and strong organizational capacity.
Source:
http://lowemissionsasia.org/news/usaid-lead-TGO-ghg-reporting-webinar
USAID LEAD supports Thailand’s Outstanding Women Leaders for Green Growth Award
(7 February 2014)
The Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Associations under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen (BPW Thailand) launched the Outstanding Women Leaders for Green Growth Award. The USAID LEAD program is partnering with BPW Thailand to develop the award to promote green growth initiatives among women business leaders, as part of a longer-term effort to develop a regional and later international green growth award that promotes gender equality and empowerment of women in Asia. BPW is a part of an international and regional network of women leaders in the private and non-governmental sectors.
Source:
http://lowemissionsasia.org/news/lead-supports-green-growth-award
Five regions networking seminar of the project “Low Carbon Municipality”
(12 February 2014)
The National Municipal League of Thailand (NMT) organized a 5 regions networking seminar under a project “Low Carbon Municipality: The promotion of low carbon city across municipalities in celebration of his Majesty the Kings’ 84th Birthday” on 12 February 2014, at the Asia Airport hotel, Pathumthani. The objectives of the seminar are to update the 2 year progress and provide feedbacks on low carbon activities that are created and implemented by participating municipalities in the country. Up-to-date, there are 171 municipalities involved in the project. For more details of this project, please see November newsletter.
Source:
http://lcm.in.th/content-284.html
Nakhon Ratchasima province is moving toward low carbon city
(21 February 2014)
Nakhon Ratchasima province and the Regional Environment Office 11 co-organized a workshop on “Korat Low Carbon city”, on 21 February 2014, at the Seema Thani Hotel, Nakhon Ratchasima (commonly called Korat). The objectives are to build a network of communities and local administration offices to tackle global warming problems and to efficiently manage natural resources and environments in the city. The workshop aims to stimulate actions planning under city’s 4 strategies: (1) Land of the trees, (2) Zero pollutants, (3) Energy challenge, and (4) Sustainable consumption.
Source:
http://pr.prd.go.th/nakhonratchasima/ewt_news.php?nid=3816&filename=index
B. Ongoing Low-Carbon Research Activities / Projects
Low Carbon Municipality: The promotion of low carbon city across municipalities in celebration of his Majesty the Kings’ 84th Birthday.
The National Municipal League of Thailand (NMT, http://www.nmt.or.th) has initiated this project in 2012. It received a 90% financial support from the European Union while the rest was on its own. The objective of project is to contribute to climate change mitigation by using Thai municipality power. Project activities are to follow the King’s Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy. The project runs from February 2012 – January 2015. Expected outcomes consist of
- At least 84 municipalities are capable and participate in low carbon city development. At least one low carbon activity (per one municipality) proposed during the project is successful. Low carbon city activities should be addressed in cities’ 3-year development plan or their annual plan.
- At least 84,000 kg CO2 is reduced by the end of the project (2015)
- There will be 84 role models of low carbon municipalities and at least 10 short films produced from these role models present as gifts to the King.
Source: