German government to reduce coal production
An agreement was signed between the Thai government’s integrated urban climate action for low-carbon and resilient cities ( Urban-Act ) project and the German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH ( GIZ ).
As project implementing partners in Thailand, representatives from the German Embassy in Bangkok, the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning ( DPT ), the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning ( OTP), the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning ( Onep), and the Thai Meteorological Department ( TMD) attended the signing.
As local venture partners, representatives from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and the Asia-Pacific Regional Organization for Local Government also attended the ceremony.
Thailand is extremely susceptible to climate change, according to Chamnanwit Terat, assistant continuous secretary of the Interior Ministry.
He argued that the nation needs to accelerate its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ), build more resilient cities, promote sustainable living, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to further adapt to climate change.
” Climate shift has considerably affected procedures and the well-being of the people”, he said. Therefore, all participants must work together to create industrial growth solutions that adhere to environmental principles.
He stated that the government is totally committed to supporting the initiative’s efforts to address pressing issues facing the nation and advance sustainable growth.
The Urban-Act job is a local, climate action effort with initiatives currently continued in China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The European Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action’s International Climate Initiative will provide funding through December 2027. Its objective is to assist the nations in their move to low-carbon, more tenacious industrial development.
Pongrat Piromrat, DPT director-general, said the program is a vital step towards decreasing Thai places ‘ carbon pollution.
Local authorities will conduct research on how climate change has affected the places, he said, adding that the project will concentrate on Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, and Phuket as captain places.
The experiments, he said, does form the basis for more action.
” DPT will develop rules that will help transform these places into climate resilient locations. Although our office has several laws in place to assist lower carbon emissions in urban areas, we still need to increase them, he said.
” Once we receive and process the information from the studies in the pilot cities, we will use]the data ] for city planning and development in other provinces”, he said.
Jarukan Rassiri, the GIZ Cluster Coordinator for Environment, Energy and Mobility, said the program is also being implemented in other key cities in India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines.
” Asia is a gateway of the world, and it has strong growth potential. But, the question is, how it will grow in the future”? she said. “]The response is ] with lower carbon emissions and powerful resilience”, she added.
It’s not just about having creative ideas or practices; it’s also about how different agencies can collaborate and come up with common solutions, she continued.
Germany recognized the importance of locations as well as the need for strong cooperation between government agencies, according to Johannes Kerner, Counsellor for Economic Affairs at the German Embassy in Bangkok.
” We are a proud promoter and donation for the local Urban-Act project through the International Climate Initiative”, he said.