The paper “Thailand’s Path toward Carbon Neutrality and the Implications for the Mekong Subregion” By Twarath Sutabutr, Clean Edge Asia Fellow concludes that Thailand has recognized climate change as an existential threat to the planet and has formulated several national plans and policies to reduce emissions and eventually achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Both the public and private sectors have been actively involved in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a series of measures have been implemented in each sector. The primary ways to reduce emissions in Thailand and the Mekong subregion are to develop a carbon-neutral vision with domestic renewable energy development and promote more cross-border electricity trading. Even though Thailand has made significant progress toward energy trading in the Mekong subregion, more needs to be done.
Future policies should encourage private-sector participation, which would facilitate environmental advancements through investments and technology transfer. At the same time, new alternatives, such as regional trading schemes and the transmission of power via a transit country, need to be studied. Policy initiatives concerning greenhouse gas emissions reduction, such as constructing more solar and wind projects, could be further promoted as well.
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