Varawut gets ready for COP27 stage in Egypt to highlight Thailand’s goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa along with Thailand’s representatives on Sunday (November 13) arrived at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt to participate in the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the 27th Conference of the Parties or COP27 during November 14-15.
Varawut said the conference this year would focus on five main agendas: 1) The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which coincides with Thailand’s goal of achieving net zero emission and carbon neutrality by 2050. 2) Loss and damage, an important issue in which developed countries should compensate poor countries who are affected by the impact of climate change caused by the emission of greenhouse gases. 3) Climate finance, a mechanism to allocate funds and resources to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate the adaptation to the impact of climate change. 4) Transparent reporting, a practice that all countries must strictly follow to ensure efficient utilisation of information, and 5) The implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which allows countries to voluntarily cooperate with each other to achieve emission reduction targets set out in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Varawut added that Thailand will propose a long-term plan from now until 2065, with a target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutrality within 2050, including measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand from 388 million tonnes equivalent to 120 million tonnes.
“We have also prepared a short-term plan in our NDCs, in which we aim to cut down greenhouse gas emissions by 40% within 2030,” he said. “Furthermore, we will show an agreement on carbon credit trade, technology transfer and fund support with Switzerland, which makes us the world's first countries that carry on tackling climate change under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.”
The Natural Resources and Environment Minister hoped that the agreement would help promote the use of electric public buses in Thailand and thus reduce the reliance on fossil fuels as well as the amount of PM2.5 dust particles, a major cause of air pollution in big cities.
Thailand’s workforce on Monday (November 14) visited the conference venue to survey the location as well as attend a presentation titled “Thailand Chapter - Net zero cement and concrete roadmap 2050” by SCG at the Thai Pavilion. Thailand’s representatives will attend subforums with international leaders to exchange information and prepare for the main conference scheduled on November 15 from 10 am to 1 pm, local time.
