Thailand – National planning on short-lived climate pollutants

Workstream:

Ongoing

started:

2021

Thailand joined the CCAC in 2019 to develop its understanding of national black carbon and tropospheric ozone emissions. Seeking to build upon the findings of the CCAC’s regional assessment on Asia and the Pacific, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been working with the CCAC to identify mitigation opportunities from SLCP sources including biomass burning, vehicles, and industrial production. Implementing clean air measures in the region has the potential to reduce staple crop losses by 45%, while preventing 2 million premature deaths from indoor air pollution a year.

In 2021, Thailand began national planning activities with the CCAC to develop an integrated air pollution and climate change mitigation assessment. The focus of this assessment is to evaluate various mitigation measures for air pollution and climate change planning at a national level, including in the capital city of Bangkok.

This work is complemented by ongoing activities with the ASEAN community to support individual member states in integrating air pollution and climate change actions into relevant institutions and policies.

Objectives

The CCAC provides technical assistance and funding to partner countries to support their national planning process on short-lived climate pollutants, and implement resulting mitigation measures. This work includes:

Strengthening coordination and action on short-lived climate pollutants
Identifying major emission sources, their likely evolution and mitigation potential
Assessing the co-benefits of action
Prioritising the most relevant measures at a national scale
Identifying ways to promote and implement these mitigation measures
Incorporating short-lived climate pollutants into existing plans and activities where they are not currently considered
Supporting the implementation of priority measures and track progress

What we’re doing

Phase 1 – ongoing

In 2021, Thailand began Phase 1 of the CCAC national planning process. The project will identify integrated air pollution and climate change mitigation strategies, implemented by the Pollution Control Department (PCD) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). Findings will complement the 25 clean air measures identified in the CCAC regional assessment for Asia and the Pacific.

Key activities that will be undertaken as part of this climate change emission and mitigation analysis include:

Identifying effective mitigation measures to improve air quality and mitigation climate change, including the 25 clean air measures identified in the report Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific.
Evaluating the regulatory framework and governance structures currently in place and their suitability for implementation of key SLCP mitigation measures and integrated air pollution and climate change mitigation.
Developing recommendations for integrating air pollution and climate change mitigation and increasing implementation of key mitigation measures
Building capacity for planning and implementation within government and other institutions for integrated air pollution and climate change action.
Identifying practical actions and connecting institutions to increase implementation of air quality measures