Thailand

Thailand became a partner of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in 2019 and announced its commitment to reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Thailand has since worked with the CCAC on various projects to advance national mitigation efforts, such as quantifying the emissions from inland heavy-duty water transport vehicles and advancing measures identified in a CCAC report to integrate air pollution and climate change actions into institutions and policies. 

In a knowledge exchange with CCAC partners and Thailand’s Pollution Control Department, Siwaporn Rungsiyon, the Director of the Transboundary Air Pollution Division, highlighted the alignment of Thailand's national planning goals with CCAC activities. "[Thailand aims] to build up capacity with the Pollution Control Department for integrated air pollution and climate change planning and an analysis of our mitigation, and to identify climate change benefits of current air pollution strategies and air pollution benefits of current climate change strategies in Thailand."  

The government is moving to mitigate the current climate crisis with policies and plans that address both carbon and short-lived climate pollutant emissions from the main emitting sectors biomass burning, vehicles and industrial production. 

In 2015, Thailand introduced the Climate Change Master Plan (2015-2050), a multi-sectoral framework which outlines integrated policies and action plans to achieve low carbon development, climate change resilience initiatives, and provide mechanisms and tools for different ministries to undertake sectoral action plans. It sets out action plans in the waste and agriculture sectors, where the most prominent greenhouse gas is methane.  

This was followed by the National Solid Waste Management Master Plan (2016-2021) in 2016, which aims to encourage citizens to follow the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) in minimizing waste production, introduce centralized facilities for waste utilization, and convene relevant sectors to participate in managing solid and hazardous waste. This integrated programme emphasizes the waste-to-energy path and co-benefits for health, the local economy, and the climate. Measures included targeting and reducing open dumping sites and increasing proper waste disposal systems and implementing waste separation policies. 

The Agriculture Strategic Plan on Climate Change (2017-2021) looks to enhance climate resilience and adaptation while also mitigating greenhouse gases in the sector to achieve sustainable development goals. New integrated agricultural management and production practices will be implemented to increase crop yields, livestock productivity, and biogas capture while improving food and economic security for farmers.  

The Sustainable Transport Master Plan comprises of a short-term programme from 2013-2017 and a long-term programme from 2018-2030 to increase the development of an environmentally sustainable transport system, build monitoring and evaluative frameworks for these projects, manage transportation systems for sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction, and promote research and public awareness. Measures include improving non-motorized transport, introducing new vehicle emission standards, and improving railway systems. 

The Integrated Energy Blueprint, which includes plans for power development, energy efficiency, alternative energy development, and oil and gas development, will contribute to an ongoing energy transition and support the transition to cleaner energy solutions. The Thailand Oil Plan (2015-2036) will align fossil fuel management with other energy plans such as the Energy Efficiency Plan and the Alternative Energy Development Plan and work towards the Alternative Energy Development Plan (2015-2036) target of achieving 20,000 MW of renewable energy and supplying 20% of net national electricity demand with renewable sources by 2036. Solutions to reach this target will include the use of biofuel, such as compressed bio-methane, which is set to reach 4,800 tonnes/day by 2036. 

Read below for more highlights of Thailand’s work: 

CCAC projects