Press Release

Thailand and GGGI launch Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap

DSC_0751BANGKOK – April 22, 2016 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in collaboration with the Government of Thailand, and with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature, Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) today launched the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Roadmap to support Thai industry transition toward greener models of production.

GGGI and Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), organized a launch event welcoming more than 130 participants from relevant government agencies, private sector, and civil society, and presented the GHG Reduction Roadmap, which has been developed with particular focus on Thailand’s automotive, palm oil, and frozen seafood industries. Thailand’s industrial sector represents 38% of GDP and at least 23% of emissions.

“With Thailand strongly committed to reducing emissions to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the GHG Reduction Roadmap is a very timely and useful tool that will provide clear direction and steps for the country to reduce its emissions,” said Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Secretary-General of ONEP. “This project clearly contributes to the country’s development objective for a low-carbon society as declared in the Climate Change Master Plan and the national development plan.”

The Roadmap, the-first-of-its-kind in Thailand, found that the sector has significant potential for the green industry. With the effective implementation of the Roadmap through a Long Term Agreements (LTA), the target sub-sectors could reduce approximately 3-5 million tons of carbon dioxide, which translated to approximately THB 4.3 billion, or USD 123 million in savings.

“Not only will the measures found in the Roadmap help Thailand reduce its GHGs and address climate change, it could also contribute to reducing energy consumption, enhancing the industry’s competiveness, and creating green jobs,” said Mr. Khan Ram-Indra, GGGI Thailand Program Manager.

The implementation of similar Roadmap activities across the manufacturing sector could lead to the reduction of 23-37 MtCO2e, or 4-7% of the country’s emissions, potentially saving THB 32 billion for the Thai economy.

“We are very happy to support Thailand and to work with GGGI to help Thailand’s green industry transition take an important next step,” said Dr. Christine Falken-Grosser, Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. “This GHG Reduction Roadmap project provides concrete information on what the private sector and the government can do and where to invest most effectively in the right policies and incentives.”

Thailand became the 26th member of GGGI in January 2016.

Read the Roadmap report here.

About GGGI

Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote green growth. The organization partners with countries to help them build economies that grow strongly, are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions.  To learn more, see https://gggi.org and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.