The Department of Climate Change and Environment, in collaboration with over 20 public and private organizations and academic institutes, recently organized the Thailand Pavilion at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). As one of the co-organizers, NXPO organized the Innovation Zone and three side events within the Thailand Pavilion, showcasing initiatives undertaken by NXPO to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand.
On 8 December 2023, Thailand Pavilion at COP28 hosted a seminar on “SARABURI SANDBOX: An innovation ecosystem and city for net zero emissions by the cement industrial sector”. The panelists included Dr. Chana Poomee, Dr. Kitipong Promwong, Mr. Apirat Subjarassang, and Mr. Thomas Guillot, with NXPO Director of Sustainable Policy Division Dr. Saravanee Singtong serving as a moderator.
Mr. Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) explained GCCA’s involvement in Thailand’s Saraburi Sandbox project, from conceptualization to implementation, involving the localization of technology to ensure effective greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in the cement manufacturing in Thailand. He also presented the Thailand 2050 Net Zero Cement & Concrete Roadmap, which aims to achieve a 50% GHG emission reduction by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050, aligning with Thailand GHG reduction targets. By 2030, the Thai cement industry is expected to enhance the country’s emission reduction capacity through actions such as stimulating the implementation of hydraulic cement and actively collaborating with various local and international partners from all sectors to achieve net zero goals.
Dr. Chana Poomee, Chairman of the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA), described the Saraburi Sandbox as the first public-private partnership (PPP) endeavor to develop a low-carbon city model in Saraburi province. Known as “PPP-Saraburi Sandbox: A Low Carbon City”, the initiative covers an expansive scope, including energy; industrial processes and product use (IPPU); waste, agriculture; and land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF). Examples of projects include using electricity produced from clean energy sources, promoting Napier grass as energy crop, and waste management and conversion to energy and refuse derived fuel. He noted that the success of these projects requires collaboration and support from all sectors, and in some cases, regulations need to be revised to facilitate implementation.
Dr. Kitipong Promwong, President of NXPO, discussed the importance of innovation and cross-sectoral collaboration in the net zero transition endeavor, as demonstrated in the Saraburi Sandbox project. Nevertheless, the outcomes are rewarding not only to the cement industry but also to all parties in Saraburi province. He also elaborated on NXPO’s role as Thailand’s national designated entity (NDE) for technology mechanism within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in receiving technical assistance from the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) on several projects implemented in Thailand.
Mr. Apirat Subjarassang, Project Deputy General Manager from Toyota Daihatsu Engineering and Manufacturing, presented net zero initiatives in the transportation sector, representing Toyota’s core mission. The initiatives include electrification of vehicles and improvement of transportation performance, such as designing optimal routes. He also highlighted Toyota’s joint initiatives with SCG in mobility solutions, data solutions and energy solutions as examples of cross-sectoral collaboration to support net-zero transition in Saraburi.
