NXPO President Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, representing Thailand’s UNFCCC national designated entity (NDE) for technology development and transfer, participated in Technology Day on Transformative Industry, a side event co-organized by the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) of the UNFCCC and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The event provided a platform to share information on technologies and policies for hard-to-abate industries, focusing on three key sectors: steel, cement, and chemicals & petrochemicals. According to the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2024, these three sectors are responsible for nearly 60% of total industrial energy consumption and contribute to around 70% of the sector’s emissions. Discussions centered on technology and policy options, stakeholder collaboration, bilateral and multilateral partnerships, and net-zero innovations such as green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Dr. Surachai served as a panelist in the session titled “Technology and Policy Options for Decarbonizing the Steel and Cement Industries” on 18 November 2024. He presented Thailand’s strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the steel and cement sectors in response to the climate crisis while supporting the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). He discussed the Saraburi Sandbox initiative, a collaborative effort by NXPO, the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA) and Saraburi Province. This initiative demonstrates the integration of technology and innovation to achieve emissions reduction in hard-to-abate industries.
The session also featured distinguished panelists, including Ms. Åsa Ekdahl, Head of Environment and Climate Change at the World Steel Association; Mr. Thomas Guillot, CEO of Global Cement and Concrete Association; Mr. Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Senior Fellow at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water; and Ms. Orly Jacob, UNFCCC NDE for technology development and transfer of Canada. The session was moderated by Ms. Elfriede-Anna More, Head of Department – International Climate, Environment and Energy Affair, Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
