The Appropriate Share of Climate Change Mitigation Actions in Developing Countries: The Case of Thailand

Transcription

1 REPORT The Survey and Assessment of The Appropriate Share of Climate Change Mitigation Actions in Developing Countries: The Case of Thailand April, 2014 Service Centre for Development Cooperation Healthy Public Policy Foundation 1

2 Healthy Public Policy Foundation 87/495 Passorn Village (Soi 31) Bang Kruay Sai Noi Road Bang Rak Yai, Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi THAILAND The Survey and Assessment of the Appropriate Share of Climate Change Mitigation Actions in Developing Country: the Case of Thailand Researchers Suphakit Nuntavorakarn Napha Triratsakulchai Buddhina Nuntavorakarn Navin Sopapum Patchara Wongsakul With the Support from KEPA FINLAND April

3 Contents 1. Introduction The need for the survey and assessment Main aims of the study The survey and assessment methodology 7 2. Global GHG Emission and Situation in Thailand Global GHG emission and reduction Current GHG emission in Thailand Key Policies on GHG Mitigation in Thailand Mitigation actions in Thai society Mitigation actions by national government Mitigation actions by other sectors Discussion: Key Issues for more effective mitigation in Thailand Problems on the Implementation and Enforcement on 32 GHG Mitigation Policies 5.2 GHG Mitigation Actions: Opportunity VS. Burden 34 for Thai Society 5.3 Options to define the appropriate share of GHG mitigation 35 for Thailand 6. Conclusion New approach for climate change mitigation in Thai Society Toward the dynamic appropriate share of GHG mitigation 38 actions for Thailand References 39 Annex 40 I. Summarize of initial idea and proposal on the allocation of GHG 40 emission reduction at global level II. The details from all interviews on the appropriate and fair share of the 42 mitigation actions for Thailand 3

4 List of Figures Figure 1 Global GHG emission in 2010 by main sector 11 Figure 2 Thailand GHG emission by source in Figure 3 Thailand GHG emission per capita in 1994 and Figure 4 The Key polices on Climate Change Mitigation in Thailand 15 Figure 5 Policy mechanisms for Climate Change policy implementation in Thailand 21 Figure 6 Waste management system and local public transportation, 27 the mitigation initiative by Muang Klang Municipality Figure 7 Promotion of organic agriculture and building check dams for 28 water resources conservation and management, examples of mitigation action in Mae Tha Sub-district Figure 8 Three Forests, Four Benefits has been introduced to farmers around 30 the country List of Tables Table 1 Selected key persons for the interview 8 Table 2 Thailand GHG emission (by source) in 1994 and Table 3 Targets of Alternative Energy Development Plans (AEDP) 18 Table 4 The mitigation actions by SCG 25 4

5 Abbreviation AEDP BAU CITC DEDE DNA-CDM EEDP EPPO ESCO GHG GIZ IEI INC JICA KEPA KPI MRV NAMAs NESDB NESDP NMLT OAE ONEP OTP RDF SCG SMEs SNC SPP TGO UNFCC VSPP WBCSD Alternative Energy Development Plan Business As Usual Climate Change International Technical and Training Center Department of Alternative Energy Development and Energy Efficiency Designated National Authority for Clean Development mechanism Energy Efficiency Development Plan Energy Policy and Planning Office Energy Services Companies Greenhouse Gas German International Cooperation The Institute on Environment and Industry Initial National Communication Japan International Cooperation Agency Service Centre for Development Cooperation Key Performance Index Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions National Economics and Social Development Board Office National Economics and Social Development Plan The National Municipal League of Thailand Office of Agricultural Economics Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning Office of Transport Policy and Planning Refuse Derived Fuel Siam Cement Public Company small and medium industries Second National Communication Small Power Producers Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Very Small Power Producers World Business Council for Sustainable Development 5

6 1. Introduction 1.1 The Need for the Survey and Assessment Climate Change is a very important issue at the international level, but since Thailand is one of the non-annex I countries, so the opinion and approach on GHG emission reduction is different among various key actors and institutions in Thai society. Some stakeholders may still think that Thailand should not have any commitment, responsibility, or legally-binding target on GHG emission reduction. But other stakeholders think differently. Some in the governmental sector, for example, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) and Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning (ONEP), already prepare if Thailand would have the commitment on GHG emission reduction. Some in the private sector accept the trend that Thailand will have the commitment in the future, but they think that Thailand does not have to play the active role, or simply put, as slow as possible. However, some stakeholders, for example, some civil society organizations and academics are proactive because the mitigation options, for instance, renewable energy, energy efficiency, or waste management, have great potential to provide many important co-benefits to Thai society on economic, environmental, and social benefits. One concrete example is the two master plans of the Thai Government, which are the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) for renewable energy development and the 20-Year Energy Efficiency Development Plan ( ) for energy efficiency. These two plans will lead to the CO2 emission reduction of 125 million tons per year as well as reduce the oil import of 13.7 billion Euro, save energy of 6.5 billion Euro, and promote private investment of 10.5 billion Euro (DEDE, 2011). This leads to an important question that is are these one of the opportunities for Thailand on Green Growth Strategy of the country? On the other hand, Climate Change Adaptation is becoming necessity in a number of communities around the country. The capacity to cope with flood and drought, organic agriculture together with local green market, and the Community Weather Forecast Center are some of the Adaptation options adopted by a number of communities in Thailand. Some of these Adaptation options, for instance, organic agriculture or community energy also lead to GHG emission reduction as well as other benefits to local communities, such as reduce household expenses or provide additional income. With this regard, Healthy Public Policy Foundation with the support from the Service Centre for Development Cooperation (KEPA) conducts the survey and assessment of the appropriate share of climate change mitigation actions in Thailand in order to strengthen the mitigation efforts in the country and push forward the contribution of Thailand on global GHG emission reduction. 1.2 Main Aims of the Study The study has two main aims. Firstly, the study should lead to the better understanding of the key opinions in Thai society on Thailand contribution or commitment on GHG emission reduction as well as options to define the fair share for emission reductions. 6

7 Secondly, the study should also play a role in exchanging the selected key evidence and idea on the opportunity for Thailand, focusing on the mitigation options that provide important benefits in various aspects to the society, as well as the way forward to realize these opportunities and turn them into actions. 1.3 The Survey and Assessment Methodology The appropriate share of climate change mitigation actions in Thailand will be analyzed from the ideas and proposals at international level on the allocation of responsibility for each country. Furthermore, this study will include the status and progress of the mitigation policies and actions in Thailand as well. These are share and discuss with all persons interviewed in this survey with the focus on obstacles and recommendations. After that, the study team analyzed the findings from all interview and conclude the appropriate share for Thailand. The study will also analyze and discuss the problems on policy mechanisms and policy implementation for more effective mitigation actions in Thailand. Thus, the study will focus on the following issues. 1) Key policies on GHG mitigation in Thailand and problems on policy implementation and enforcement 2) GHG mitigation actions: Opportunity VS. Burden for Thai Society 3) The appropriate share of GHG mitigation actions for Thailand This study comprises of literature review, review of related policy documents, review of ideas and proposals regarding the determination of mitigation responsibility for each country, interviewing selected persons from the key sectors in Thai society, analysis and assessment of the result, writing the report, as well as public communication and outreach. The interview The study has interviewed nineteen key persons from different sectors in Thai society during October 2013 to January 2014 by using Semi-structure interview method. The questions are briefly explained, and follow by the list of interviewees. The questions for the interview The questions comprise of three parts. 1) The policies or plans on mitigation actions in the responsibility of your organization (for the governmental sector, local government, and private sector) or the efforts and movements by your organization to push forward the policies or plans on mitigation actions of the country (for academics, civil society, and mass media) 1.1 The progress of the policies or plans on mitigation actions 1.2 Key problems and obstacles to the implementation of the policies or plans 1.3 The way forward to address the key problems and obstacles in order to effectively reduce GHG emission according to the policies or plans 7

8 2) The linkages or supports with the other policies or plans on mitigation actions, both national policies and sectoral policies, as well as with other stakeholder, specifically governmental sector, local government, private sector, and civil society 2.1 Any linkages, supports, or working together, in which way, and to which extent 2.2 Key problems and obstacles to the linkages and supports between each policies or plans and between each stakeholder 2.3 The way forward to address the key problems and obstacles in order to effectively link and support between each policies or plans and between each stakeholder 3) The way to identify the appropriate share of Climate Change mitigation actions for Thailand 3.1 The study team summarized the key ideas and proposals at the international level on the allocation of GHG emission reduction for each country into three groups for the key persons to comment or elaborate on new idea 3.2 The way to identify the appropriate share of GHG emission reduction for Thailand 3.3 Should Thailand set up a clear target in figure on GHG emission reduction? And why? The information for the interview: the key proposals on the determination of GHG emission reduction for each country Based on the literature review, the study team summarized the key ideas and proposals on the determination of GHG emission reduction for each country into three groups. 1) Equal Percentage Reduction 2) Convergence to the same emission per capita level in the long-term 3) A set of factors for the determination of GHG reduction target of each country This was made as the very brief information sheet for the interviews as many stakeholders do not follow the international discussion on the responsibility on GHG emission reduction. But it is crucial to emphasize that these information was provided as an initial idea and each interviewee was encourage to freely discuss or suggest new idea or factors that should be taken into account for the fair and appropriate share from the Thailand point of view. Table 1: Selected key persons for the interview Sector Government and Political Sector Organization 1. Ms.Ladawan Kumpa, Deputy Secretary General of National Economics and Social Development Board Office (NESDB). NESDB is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of National Economic and Social Development Plan. 2. Mr.Prasert Sirinapapon, Director of Climate Change Management and Coordination Bureau, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning 8

9 Sector Organization (ONEP), Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. ONEP is the National Focal Point of Thai government under the UNFCCC. 3. Mrs.Prasertsuk Jamornmarn, Deputy Executive Director, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). TGO is the public organization responsible for climate change mitigation of the country. 4. Mr.Saritpong Boriboonsuk, Director of Bureau of Safety Planning, Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Ministry of Transportation. OTP is responsible for Environmental Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Master Plan. 5. Dr. Jirapa Thocheme, Director of Bureau of Resource, Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. OAE is responsible for National Agricultural Strategy on Climate Change. 6. Dr.Sukamol Prakobchart, Scientist, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), Ministry of Energy. DEDE responsibles for Alternative Energy Development Plan and the energy conservation, according to the Energy Conservation Act. Private sector 7. Ms.Panrat Phechpakdee, Director of Industrial Environment Institute (IEI), the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). IEI has played active role to convince and support the industrial sector on climate change mitigation. 8. Mr.Chonlathorn Damrongsak, Director of SCG Sustainability and Excellent Center. SCG is a mega Thai corporation with the core business on construction, petrochemical and paper industry. NGOs, academics, and civil society 9. Dr.Buntoon Sretthasiroth, Director of Good Governance for Social Development and the Environment Institute (GSEI) and Coordinator, the Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Think Tank, which is supported by Thailand Research Fund. 10. Ms.Gingkorn Narinthornkul Na Ayudhaya, Deputy director of Biothai Foundation and Coordinating team of the Thai Climate Justice Network (TCJ). 11. Dr.Wiwut Sunlayakumthorn, Leader of Agri-Nature Learning Centers and Network around the country with the main aim to promote natural agriculture as well as tree planting and afforestation. 12. Mr.Vitoon Panyakul, 9

10 Sector Organization Director of GreenNet Foundation. GreenNet is an agricultural NGOs working to promote organic agriculture and fair trade in Thailand. 13. Mrs.Saree Ongsomwang, Secretary-general of Foundation for Consumers. The foundation s works focus on protecting consumer s rights and promoting sustainable consumption Dr.Bundit Limmeechockchai, Lecturer and senior researcher at Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasart University. He has played the key role in research projects on the draft national pledge and preparation of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). 15. Mrs.Jitima Bansarng, Working with Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) as Advisor to News Editor, and head of Thai PBS Green Office working group. Local government and community 16. Mr.Somchai Jariyacharoen, Former Mayor of Muang Klaeng Sub-district Municipality in Rayong Province. The municipality promotes sustainable community development for decades, as well as has been pro-active in GHG emission reduction at local level. 17. Mr. Kanoksak Duangkaewraun, Chief Executive of the Mae-Tha Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO), Chiang Mai Province. The Mae-Tha SAO focuses on the conservation of natural forest and other natural resources as well as community economy development. 18. Mrs. Tharee Kamaung, Project Coordinator of the Low Carbon Municipality Project in partnership with National Municipal League of Thailand. The project promotes mitigation action and capacity building to Municipalities who are interested around the country. Other sector 19. Mr. Jittakorn Aimphan, Freelance, he is a middle class, who lives and works in Bangkok. 10

11 2. Global GHG Emission and Situation in Thailand 2.1 Global GHG Emission and Reduction In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) was adopted as the basis for a global response to the problem. The ultimate objective of the Convention is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner (UN, 1992). In November 2012, United Nations Environment Program disseminated The Emissions Gap Report 2012 that indicated GHG emission of the world. It is indicated that trend of the amount of the world GHG emission has increased since and the amount of the world GHG emission in 2010 was billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (UNEP, 2012). Figure 1: Global GHG emission in 2010 by main sector Source: UNEP, 2012 Atmospheric concentration of CO 2 has risen from 278 ppm in pre-industrial year to 391 ppm in 2012, with recent increasing rate of 1.8 ppm per year and has tended to continually increase, resulting in increasing global temperature over 0.7 C (Word Bank, 2012). 11

12 In Doha, Qatar, on 8 December 2012, the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol was adopted. The new commitments for Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on commitments in a second commitment period from 1 January 2013 to 31 December During the first commitment period, 37 industrialized countries and the European Community committed to reduce GHG emissions to an average of five percent against 1990 levels. During the second commitment period, Parties committed to reduce GHG emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990 levels in the eight-year period from 2013 to 2020, but this amendment has not entered into legal force. However, the composition of Parties in the second commitment period is different from the first. The 37 parties with binding targets in the second commitment period are Australia, the European Union (and its 28 member states), Belarus, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and Ukraine. However, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine have stated that they may withdraw from the Protocol or not put into legal force the Amendment with second round targets. Japan, New Zealand, and Russia have participated in Kyoto's first-round but have not taken on new targets in the second commitment period. Other developed countries without second-round targets are Canada (which withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol in 2012) and the United States (which has not ratified the Protocol). The treaty recognizes that developed countries have contributed the most to the anthropogenic build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (around 77% of emissions between 1750 and 2004), and that carbon dioxide emissions per person in developing countries (2.9 tons in 2010) are on average, lower than emissions per person in developed countries (10.4 tons in 2010) However, there are 53 developing countries already have their National Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and also already launched their pledges such as Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, India, China, Brazil, South Africa, Bhutan, Maldives, etc.(unfcc, 2013). Even though all these proposed NAMAs will be fully adopted by number of countries, our globe is still in crisis. It estimates that if GHG emissions continue to grow, global surface temperature could rise by more than 4 C in 2100 (Word Bank, 2012). 2.2 Current GHG Emission in Thailand Thailand signed the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Chang (UNFCCC) in 1994 and ratified Kyoto Protocol in Then, in 2008, the first National Strategy on Climate Change was approved by the Ministerial Cabinet as the policy framework for all ministries and governmental organizations. However, climate change needs long-term strategy as well, so the planning process on Climate Change Master Plan until 2050 was initiated in The National Focal Point of Thai government under UNFCCC is Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. ONEP is also responsible for the development and implementation of the Master Plan, which is now in the approval process. Thailand submitted its Initial National Communication (INC) to the UNFCC in 2000 in which GHG emission inventory for 1994 was estimated. The Second National Communication (SNC) describes 12

13 Thailand s inventory status for the year 2000 and estimated emission trend in selected years, The emission of GHG in Thailand during is shown in table 2. Table 2: Thailand GHG emission (by source) in 1994 and Sectors Emission in CO 2 eq Emission in CO 2 eq Emission in CO 2 eq Emission in CO 2 eq (million tons) % (million tons) % (million tons) % (million % tons) Energy Industrial processes Agriculture Land use change and forestry Waste Total Source: ONEP, 2013 The amount of total GHG emission in Thailand in 1994 was million tons carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 eq) and increase to CO 2 eq in The largest GHG contributor in 2000 was the energy sector which accounted for 54 % of total GHG emission, followed by land use change and forestry emitted at 19% and agriculture at 18%. The remaining proportion was shared among industrial processes and waste management (see figure 2) Thailand GHG emission by source (2000) (Mt CO 2 eq, %) Industry % Waste % Agriculture % Land use change and forestry % Energy % Total GHG emission = Mt CO 2 eq Figure 2: Thailand GHG emission by source in 2000 Source: ONEP, 2013 The emission trend during 5 years, from had an average increase of 3.9% per year while the emission rate during 11 years from had an average increase only of 2% per year. 13

14 In term of GHG emission per capita in 1994 and , it was found that the trend has increased, especially from The GHG emission per person in was 4.03, 3.70, 3.61, 3.80, 3.99 and 4.29 ton CO 2 eq respectively (ONEP, 2013). Ton CO 2 eq per capita Figure 3: Thailand GHG emission per capita in 1994 and Source: ONEP, 2013 Concerning GHG emission reduction, the draft National Master Plan on Climate Change includes the reduction target in the range of 7-20 percent within 2020, compared to Business-as- Usual (BAU) between 2005 and Even though, Thailand emits about one percent of the total global GHG emission and the country is listed as the non-annex 1 country, which is not required to reduce its GHG emissions. However, GHG emission in Thailand has an increasing trend, particularly in energy consumption. As climate change is global impact, Thailand has frequently encountered and suffered from adverse impacts of climate change, e.g. flooding problem, prolong drought, irregular of rainy season, weather variation etc. Thailand has more concerns on the climate change impacts, including GHG emission reduction and adaptation. The ministries and governmental organizations have developed the policies or plans, related to climate change. These will be more elaborated in the next topic. 14

15 3. Key Policies on GHG Mitigation in Thailand Key policies on GHG mitigation in Thailand have been reviewed. Two overarching national policies related to GHG mitigation are selected, which are the 11 th National Economics and Social Development Plan (NESDP) and the draft Thailand Climate Change Master Plan In addition, Country Strategy by the present government is identified to be directly relevant during the interview process. Regarding the sectoral policies related to GHG mitigation actions, four policies in energy, transportation, and agriculture are chosen. The key policies on climate change mitigation in Thailand are shown in figure 4. Overarching National policies Sectoral policies Country Strategy (the Government s New Growth Model of the country in the next years The 11th National Economics and Social Development Plan ( ) The draft Thailand Climate Change Master Plan ( ) Alternative Energy Development Plan ( ) Energy Efficiency Development Plan ( ) Environmental Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Master Plan ( ) Agricultural Strategy on Climate Change ( ) Figure 4: The Key polices on Climate Change Mitigation in Thailand 1) The 11 th National Economics and Social Development Plan (NESDP) The 11 th National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) is the five-year country development master plan, which derived from key stakeholders engagement and public participation in the planning process. The National Economics and Social Development Board Office is responsible for the planning, coordinating the implementation, as well as evaluating the Plan. The key concept and development direction set forth in the 11 th NESDP is to shift the development paradigm and redirect the country toward low carbon and environmentally friendly economy. The 11 th NESDP comprises of six development strategies and climate change have been included in three strategies, namely Strengthening of agricultural sector and security of food and energy, 15

16 Restructuring the economy toward quality growth and sustainability, and Natural resources and environmental management toward sustainability. The key policy measures to restructuring the country toward low carbon economy include the following (NESDB, 2011). The investment promotion policy that provides more incentives to low carbon industries or the industries those contribute to GHG reduction. Developing mechanisms and measures for domestic GHG reduction, for instance, Carbon Label, Carbon Footprint, etc. Improve multi-modal transportation and promote low carbon transportation mode. Study and preparation for GHG emission reduction, for example, NAMAs or sectoral CDM. The long-term plan on national GHG emission reduction. Every ministry and other government organizations make their policies and plans according to the development strategies in the 11 th NESDP. However, each ministry and organization has their own responsibility to prioritize and decide the policies and their implementation. Concerning the reporting related to the implementation of the 11 th NESDP, each ministry and government organization will report once a year and the one-year progress of 2012 is available at present. The key progresses are the promotion of energy efficiency and substitution energy for GHG emission reduction in small and medium industries, GHG inventories in the industrial sector, the promotion of energy-efficient transportation, urban green-area management, the promotion of organic to substitute chemical in agricultural sector, as well as the study on appropriate implementation of carbon tax in Thai society (Ladawan Kumpa. Interview. November 5, 2013). It is important to note that based on the 11 th NESDP and other priorities, the present government has developed Country Strategy and GHG mitigation is also included. This will be elaborated more in the next topic. 2) Country Strategy The present government, who was elected in 2011, has developed Country Strategy in October 2012 as the New Growth Model of the country in the next years for stable and sustainable economic development. It comprises of four Strategies, which are Growth & Competitiveness, Inclusive Growth, Green Growth, and Internal Process. Among the four Strategies, GHG emission reduction is included in the third Strategy on Green Growth, focusing on energy conservation. In addition, some issues about renewable energy development are included in the first Strategy on Growth and Competitiveness (Prime Minister s Office, 2013). Country Strategy was used as the shared working direction for all ministries and governmental organizations in 2013 and also for the 2014 fiscal budget planning. However, the government decided in early December 2013 to dissolve parliament and call general elections in February 2014 and therefore, the implementation of the Country Strategy has been put on hold. 16

17 3) The draft Thailand Climate Change Master Plan Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment is responsible for the long-term national master plan on climate change in order to integrate and set the long-term policy direction for the country. The master plan was initiated in 2011 and two working groups on Adaptation and Mitigation have been set up and two rounds of public hearing around the country were arranged. Consequently, many governmental departments, private sector, academics, and civil society were participated in the planning process. There are three phases for the targets on GHG emission reduction. The key target for the short-term period by 2016 is to set up and implement the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and the mechanisms on Measurable, Reportable and Verifiable (MRV), including development of National GHG inventory database. The draft Master Plan also includes the target of GHG emission reduction in the range of 7-20 percent within 2020, compared to Business-as-Usual (BAU). The domestic NAMAs comprises of renewable energy (biogas, small-hydropower, and biomass), energy efficiency in industries and building codes, ethanol and biodiesel 1 st generation and all together can lead to CO 2 reduction around 7 percent in The internationally-supported NAMAs comprises of renewable energy (waste-to-energy, wind, and solar), energy efficiency in industries, biodiesel 2 nd generation and compressed biogas for transportation, as well as the sustainable master plan These can lead to CO 2 reduction around 13 percents in Lastly, the long-term targets comprise of the reduction of energy intensity of the country at least 25 percent, compared to BAU, the emission reduction in the land transportation sector, as well as the reduction of GHG emission per GDP (ONEP, 2013). At present, the draft plan has been finalized by the Sub-Committee in June 2013 and will be submitted for approval by the National Climate Change Policy Board and the Ministerial Cabinet meeting respectively (Prasert Sirinapapon. Interview. October 31, 2013). 4) Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) AEDP is the national master plan on renewable energy development for years by Ministry of Energy. AEDP was initiated by Department of Alternative Energy Development and Energy Efficiency for the period with the targets of 5,604 MW for electricity generation, 7,433 kilo tons of oil equivalent (ktoe) for heating, and 13.5 million liters per day for biofuels in But the growth of renewable energy was faster than the targets, so in 2012, the Ministry issued the new AEDP that increases the targets as shown in the table. The plan clearly shows the benefits of renewable energy development as the following (DEDE, 2011). Reduce oil import 13.7 billion Euro/year Promote private investment 10.5 billion Euro Reduce GHG emission 76 million tons CO2/year in 2021 The income from carbon credit 548 million Euro 17

18 In addition, Ministry of Energy had some new renewable energy policies in 2013, therefore, the targets in AEDP were adjusted accordingly. Table 3: Targets of Alternative Energy Development Plans (AEDP) The targets in AEDP AEDP AEDP The new targets set in Electricity (Megawatts, MW) 5,604 9,201 13, Heat (kilo tons of oil equivalent, ktoe) 7,433 9,335 9, Biofuel (million liters/day) - Ethanol Biodiesel Hydrogen (million kilograms) New fuel to substitute diesel Bio-Hydrogenated Diesel or BHD Compressed Biogas or CBG - - 1,200 Source: DEDE, ) Energy Efficiency Development Plan (EEDP) EEDP is the first master plan on energy conservation and energy efficiency of the country for 20 years timeframe. The plan was developed by Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO). The goal of EEDP is to reduce the Energy Intensity of the country, which is the energy use per GDP, 25 percent in 2030 compared to 2005 or equal to the reduction of final energy consumption 30,000 kilo tons of oil equivalent (ktoe), compared to BAU in The energy conservation targets cover electricity, heat, and transportation sector as the following. 13,400 ktoe for the transportation sector 11,300 ktoe for the industrial sector 2,300 ktoe for large buildings 3,000 ktoe for small buildings and residential sector If considering only electricity, the target of 84,140 GWh is set, which is equal to around 17,470 MW peak demand reduction in The benefits of the energy conservation are the average energy saving of 6.5 billion Euro/year and GHG emission reduction of 49 million tons CO2 in 2030 (DEDE, 2011). 6) Environmental Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Master Plan The Master Plan was developed by Office of Transport Policy and Planning (OTP) under Ministry of Transport, based on the study commissioned by OTP. The annual GHG emission reduction targets are set at 10, 12, and 23 million tons of CO2 equivalents by 2017, 2020, and 2030 respectively while the cumulative GHG reduction is 207 million tons. This is equal to 80 percent of the emission reduction potential for the transportation sector. Some key strategies in the master plan are Infrastructure and demand management, public transport and non-motorized mode, procurement of NGV buses, and promoting the use of ecofriendly vehicles. There are 120 projects proposed in the master plan with the total investment 18

19 budget around 28 billion Euro. The majority of these projects are related to rail transportation, for example, sky train, dual-tracks train, and high-speed train (OTP, 2012). Apart from the GHG reduction, the master plan also shows some economic benefits that include total economic savings for the first five years ( ) of 1.6 trillion Bath (around 38 billion Euro) and the cumulative final energy saving around 55,000 ktoe. Regarding the implementation, the master plan has been approved by the Permanent Secretary and each department will prioritize and select the projects for implementation (Saritpong Boriboonsuk. Interview. December 9, 2013). 7) Agricultural Strategy on Climate Change Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives developed Agricultural Climate Change Strategy Plan with the main aims on capacity building on climate change adaptation in agriculture sector, reducing GHG emission and increasing GHG uptake capacity. There are two main strategies, which are development of GHG knowledge and database system and promote and support environmentally friendly agriculture development. Thus GHG emission reduction and retention in agriculture sector is included and it comprises of developing the assessment system of GHG emission reduction and retention in agriculture sector including measurements, report and verifying systems. The strategy aims to increase farmer s income from adaptation to the environmental friendly production and low carbon products. The key measures are developing of carbon label, promoting low carbon village and developing renewable energy technologies that use agricultural residuals in order to reducing carbon emission per production unit (Ministry of Agriculture, 2012). Agricultural Climate Change Strategy Plan has been approved by Ministerial Cabinet in 2013 but the budget allocation is the main limitation for the implementation. 19

20 4. Mitigation Actions in Thai Society This topic will explain the mitigation actions by the key stakeholders, namely national government, private, local government, and civil society. 4.1 Mitigation Actions by the National Government 1) National Mitigation Actions Climate change mitigation has clearly been a policy agenda of Thai government as low carbon society development. It is the development direction in the current National Economics and Social Development Plan (NESDP) The Country Strategy developed by the present government in 2012, also include GHG emission reduction in the third core strategy on Green Growth. Furthermore, the national long-term master plan on climate change has been finalized by the Sub-Committee and will be submitted for approval by the National Climate Change Policy Board and the Ministerial Cabinet meeting respectively. At present, the draft Thailand Climate Change Master Plan also includes the country pledge on GHG emission reduction of 7-20 percent within 2020, compared to the BAU. The first part of seven percent reduction is domestically support, while the other 13 percent reduction is internationally support. Consequently, the draft Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions Plan or NAMAs is also prepared and it includes four areas as the following. 1) Renewable electricity, which is a part of the AEDP plan by the Ministry of Energy 2) Bio-fuel for transportation, which is a part of the AEDP plan by the Ministry of Energy 3) Energy Efficiency in Buildings and Industries, which is a part of the EEDP plan by the Ministry of Energy 4) Environmental sustainable transport, which is the plan by Ministry of Transport At present, the detail feasibility studies are conducted by the responsible ministries and ONEP is also preparing the five-year action plan that will also include co-benefits analysis as well (Prasert Sirinapapon. Interview. October 31, 2013). 20

21 The Sub-Committee on CC Adaptation The National Climate Change Policy Board (Chair by the Prime Minister) The Sub-Committee on CC Mitigation Climate Change Coordinator (CCC) (Representatives from each ministry) Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) (National Focal Point on climate change) Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) (Promoting of GHG mitigation actions) Figure 5: Policy mechanism for Climate Change policy implementation in Thailand Regarding the implementation on GHG emission reduction of the country, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization or TGO is set up as the public organization with the several objectives on climate change mitigation, including to promoting investment and marketing for GHG emission reduction, reviewing CDM projects for approval, providing capacity development and outreach for CDM stakeholders, establishing GHG information center, as well as fostering other low carbon activities (TGO, 2014). Firstly, TGO performs the role as the Designated National Authority for Clean Development mechanism (DNA-CDM) office. As of May 2012, 176 CDM projects, with the total emission reduction of around 10.5 million tons CO2 eq. per year, have been approved and received Letter of Approval and 68 CDM projects are registered by CDM Executive Board. Then, TGO focuses more on the role of local government by starting to develop GHG inventory in five pilot municipalities, which are in Lampang, Lampoon, Chiang Rai, Udon Thani and Samui, using Global Protocol for Municipality guideline. Key sectors, such as waste management and energy, are analyzed to identify potentials and options for GHG reduction. Regarding Carbon Footprint, TGO supported the Local Carbon Footprint project that worked with 19 local governments during to creating the understanding and conducting the Carbon Footprint analysis. However, the methodology was still too complicated for the local government. TGO also initiated and provided some supports on Carbon Footprint calculation to the 11 pilot projects by large corporations and governmentally-owned enterprises on GHG reduction in the energy and forestry sector as a step toward Domestic Voluntary Carbon Market. Even though, the market is not function yet, but the five large companies who own these projects are aiming at carbon offsetting and capacity building for their companies. Regarding Carbon Offsetting Program, this is entirely voluntary and four categories are developed by TGO. 21

22 1) For individual, at present, around 200 persons, for example, large company s employees and TGO staffs are participating in the program. 2) For organization, for example, Bang Chak Petroleum public company 3) For product, for example, cooking oil 4) For event, for example, the annual meeting 2013 of Thai Chamber of Commerce, and TGO also coordinate with Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, who is responsible for the promotion of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions or MICE industry to promote carbon offsetting for event In term of capacity building, TGO is developing Climate Change International Technical and Training Center (CITC) with the support from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and German International Cooperation (GIZ). The center aims to be the focal point for ASEAN region on mitigation and adaptation and in the beginning, three courses are planned which are GHG Inventory, Low Carbon City, and Economics and Climate Change. Other actions by TGO also include applying for support from the World Bank, together with Ministry of Energy, on energy conservation as well as coordinating with Fiscal Economics Office, Ministry of Finance on initiating Carbon Tax. (Prasertsuk Jamornmarn.Interview.December 11, 2013). 2) Sectoral Mitigation Actions Energy Sector Ministry of Energy has set up Energy and GHG management section under the DEDE to work on issues related to climate change in the energy sector. The Energy Conservation Promotion Act was enforced since 1992 and there are both compulsory and incentive measures. The large buildings and factories are designated by the Act to analyze energy uses and implement energy conservation measures. At present, there are around 7,000 10,000 designated buildings and factories but not all of them are taking the actions. Although, the Act also includes penalty but in practice, DEDE tends to focus more on support and incentive measures since the energy conservation will lead to cost reduction for the owners of those buildings and factories. The Act also set up Energy Conservation Promotion Fund to support the governmental sector, private sector, academics and private organizations on various activities related to energy conservation. Concerning renewable energy development, the private sector is playing the main role as investor and project owner through Small Power Producers (SPP) and Very Small Power Producers (VSPP) program. The role of Ministry of Energy focuses on policy and planning, regulation, and support. As of March 2013, electricity generation from renewable energy is 3,032 MW or around seven percent of total generation in Since 1992, DEDE implemented the revolving fund that provides low-interest loan or soft loan to renewable energy projects. This initiative was cooperated and channeled the loan through commercial banks in order to build the confidence on the feasibility of the projects and make them familiar with renewable energy projects. 22

23 DEDE also established the revolving fund for Energy Services Companies or ESCO Revolving Fund in 2008 to provide support to both renewable energy and energy efficiency projects with many schemes, for example, equity investment, venture capital, equipment leasing, technical assistance, credit guarantee facility, as well as carbon credit facility. There are two fund managers, who are Energy for Environment Foundation and Energy Conservation Foundation of Thailand, to prepare the project and submit for approval by ESCO Fund Investment Committee. All projects must pay back to the fund within the agreed timeframe. In addition, DEDE implemented many capacity building activities such as seminar on best practice and role model on renewable energy and energy efficiency business. (Sukamol Prakobchart. Interview. December 18, 2013) Transportation Sector Ministry of Transport set up the committee on Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Policy Coordination in 2011, chaired by the Permanent Secretary. A study on Environmental Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Master Plan was commissioned and then, the master plan was approved by the Permanent Secretary for all departments within the Ministry to consider and implement. But at present, the implementation according to the master plan is still depended on the annual fiscal budget allocation. At the same time, the Country Strategy of the present government also includes many development projects in the master plan, particularly rail transportation, sky train in urban area, and high-speed train. But these infrastructure development required huge investment and the government was trying to secure the loan. However, the parliament was dissolved in December 2013 and therefore the implementation of the master plan has to be considered by the new government. Apart from the huge investment needed to implement the infrastructure development, Ministry of Transport has implemented some parts of the master plan focusing on Bangkok area, with the support from the Energy Conservation Fund. These are the study on appropriate ten bike routes and the connection with sky train and boat transport (Saritpong Boriboonsuk. Interview. December 9, 2013). Agricultural Sector Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has developed the Strategic Plan on Climate Change and Agriculture with a main strategy on GHG storage and emission reduction in the agricultural sector that focuses on GHG database and knowledge development as well as the promotion and support for environmental-friendly agricultural system. However, the majority of GHG emission in the agricultural sector is from rice field, chemical fertilizer, livestock, and open-burning in agricultural field and many of them are survival emission. Hence, there should be no burden on GHG reduction for this sector. In term of technical, GHG emission reduction in agricultural sector is possible in many ways, but the key problems lie on practical and management aspect. An example on rice field is that water management is the core issue for GHG management, which is directly link with access to irrigation 23

24 system and appropriate land management. But many of rice fields in Thailand have no access to irrigation system and there are physical limitations on land consolidation. In the case of chemical fertilizer, some regions such as Northeastern region already use less, while some regions e.g. Central region use a lot of chemical fertilizer. Therefore, policy on chemical fertilizer reduction should focus on some area, not the same for all over the country. In addition, there are some initiatives in different departments on mitigation actions. Department of Livestock has a project on appropriate farm management focusing on small-scale farms or Land Development Department is promoting the plough up and over of rice stubble, instead of openburning, as well as Vetiver grass planting for land and water conservation. Another key obstacle for mitigation in agricultural sector is the lack of GHG information. This includes the lack of present GHG emission in the sector, mitigation potentials and measures, as well as the benefits from the mitigations. Methodology for GHG emission measurement has been complex and costly and the budget allocation for the measurement tools is limited as well. Therefore, Office of Agricultural Economics has put the priority on GHG database system and knowledge by supporting research and database development. Moreover, the Flag ship policies that are related to the Country Strategy of the government are highlighted, for example, the development of Smart Farmers, Green Agricultural Cities, and Carbon Footprint analysis. The next steps are the promotion of selected agricultural practices for GHG emission reduction and the goal, both in term of number of area as well as number of farm will be set. This will take into consideration size of farmer since the large-scale ones can emit a lot of GHG but quite hard to enforce and control. For small-scale farmers, although, they emit a small amount of GHG but some appropriate mitigation actions should be implemented as well (Jirapa Thocheme. Interview. November 21, 20013). 4.2 Mitigation Actions by Other Sectors Apart from mitigation actions by the national government, other sectors in the society also initiated and implemented mitigation actions with different reasons, such as economic benefits or environmental awareness. The actions can be initiated either in private sector, local government, civil society, or in organizations. The following are some examples of mitigation actions by these sectors. Mitigation Actions by Private Sector In concept, reduction of GHG emission is the benefits for private sector, particularly industrial sector as it links to energy saving that means the production cost will be decreased, as well as benefit to the environment. However, in practice, there are a number of obstacles to reduce GHG in Thai industrial sector, specifically; Limitation of clean technology in each industry, potential of each industry for GHG emission reduction depends on the level of clean technology available and the existing production process. Some industries may already use state-of-the-art technology, so very low potential 24

25 for more reduction of GHG emission. While some other industries may have high potential to reduce GHG emission. No GHG baseline data, there is no GHG baseline data for each industry, both in term of present GHG emission of each factory and the average emission or the benchmark for each industry. So there is no clear picture about their level of GHG emission compared to the others, and how big is the potential for reduction. Consequently, in general, large industries put more attention to climate change mitigation than small and medium industries, particularly energy efficiency and energy saving. They are able to invest on new technology or new equipment and the payback period is short, e.g. only three years, and also good for the environment (Panrat Phechpakdee. Interview. November 5, 2013). In the case of Siam Cement Public Company (SCG), who is a mega Thai corporation that has the core business in cement and construction, paper, and petrochemical, the GHG inventories was conducted by Third party in 2006, following the Protocol by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). SCG emits GHG around 20 million tons CO2 per year with the majority of 75 percent is from their cement industry. They set the GHG emission reduction target of 10 percent in 2020, compared to 2007, and at present, SCG has achieved the reduction of around 4-5 percent (Chonlathorn Damrongsak. Interview.November 27, 2013). The mitigation actions by SCG are summarized in the table. Table 4: The mitigation actions by SCG SCG industries Direct GHG reduction 1. Cement and construction industry 1.1 Production process (60 percent of GHG emission) Mitigation actions This is very hard for the reduction because it depends on the raw material. The option is material transformation which is a very new technology, complex, and very high investment. 1.2 Fuels (40 percent of GHG emission) 1) Increase energy efficiency and SCG is the second in the World, compared to the bar efficiency 2) Fuel replacement by changing from oil, lignite, and coal to biomass and industrial waste and they reach 14 percent of total fuel use at present 2. Paper industry Improve the energy efficiency and fuel replacement by using biomass (already achieved 8-9 percent) 3. Petrochemical industry Focus on increase the energy efficiency because other technology options are not economically feasible for SCG due to the economy of scale Indirect GHG reduction 1. Logistics 1) Backhaul logistic that utilizes both ways of the transportation, not empty truck on the way back 2) Logistic management by setting warehouses in key spots for better distribution 3) Multimode transportation, land and water transportation to reduce the cost, as SCG owns one of the largest fleet in the country 2. Green products with the brand SCG This represents Eco technology, Eco production process, 25

26 SCG industries Mitigation actions Eco Value and Eco-use with the share of SCG Eco Value products increase from 14 percent of total sale value in 2012 to 26 percent in Zero waste to landfill Implement reduce, reuse, and recycle 4. Green procurement Communicate and help the suppliers to improve the production process, use less resources, and produce less waste (Source: (Chonlathorn Damrongsak. Interview.November 27, 2013). Efficiency investment is more incentive for industrial sector than GHG emission reduction. Investment in energy efficiency and energy saving is cost effective and rapid investment return Mr.Chonlathorn Damrongsak, Siam Cement Public Company (SCG) But small and medium industries (SMEs) do not interest much on mitigation due to several limitations, for instance, their own interests, access to funding and capital, increase cost for new technology. So there are some mitigation actions by SMEs, e.g. energy saving by changing to LED light bulb. The key incentives for the industry on mitigation action are actually not about climate change, but on the cost reduction, better image, and strengthening the competitiveness. Industrial sector is interested in decreasing of production cost rather than environment issue. To promote mitigation measures among them, incentive business is needed Mrs. Panrat Phechpakdee, Industrial Environment Institute, The Federation of Thai Industries The Institute on Environment and Industry (IEI), Federation of Thai Industries has played the role to convince and support industrial sector to prepare for and adapt to climate change mitigation. IEI has cooperated with TGO to initiate a number of projects for GHG reduction in industrial sector. They have developed the GHG inventory, started with raw materials and products, which presently have more than 1,000 databases. This year and next year, they have moved to focus on GHG inventory of each factory in various industrial sub-sectors as the showcases, aiming at the GHG inventory for each factory will be done by consultants through normal market mechanism. IEI has promoted and encouraged industries to adopt some mechanisms, such as carbon label, carbon footprint of products and organizations. They also provide technical support on 26

27 environmental and energy audit to identify hot spots for further study on the feasibility for improvements (Panrat Phechpakdee. Interview. November 5, 2013). Mitigation Actions by Local Government Local government can initiate and implement many policies and actions related to GHG emission reduction but there are many obstacles and challenges as well. Two local governments in semiurban and rural settings, as well as the Low Carbon Municipality project, who is working with local government around the country, are interviewed and discussed in this section. Muang Klang Municipality in Rayong Province has been pro-active in this area for many years. Their waste management system includes recycling, biogas production, feedstock, organic fertilizer, refuse derived fuel (RDF) for cement industrial plant, as well as smaller and more suitable waste collection vehicles. Green community parks and growing big trees are supported by the municipality. They also provide free local public transportation for students and people who want to go exercise at the community parks. Last but not least, rice and vegetable farming is supported by the municipality with the aim to reduce food mile. Figure 6: Waste management system (Left) and local public transportation (Right), the mitigation initiative by Muang Klang Municipality The most important factor is the leader, who comes from election. The person should come with willing and mindful for sustainable development of the area. But if the election is corrupt and the person comes for the payback, then it is the decisive factor. Another factor is the thorough understanding and forward-thinking on your own city/area. In term of carbon emission, the Carbon footprint analysis is useful, but the manual should be simple and easy to understand for local community. Also, one aspect of the environment that people normally overlook is art environment, which is very crucial for creating and strengthening the local spirits in taking care of their own city. The advancement of GHG emission reduction in Muang Klang municipality also links with supporting network, including GIZ, National Municipal League, and Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization, but the most importance is the stewardship of local government themselves (Somchai Jariyacharoen.Interview.November 1, 2013). 27

28 While in the case of Mae Tha Sub-district in Chiang Mai province, the main focus of the Sub-district Administrative Organization (SAO) focuses on natural resources conservation and community economy development. The key development actions include reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide in agricultural practices, forest conservation and afforestation, building check dams for water resources conservation and management, as well as developing biogas to substitute LPG gas for cooking at household level, using cow manure that are plenty in the community. Figure 7: Promotion of organic agriculture (Left) and building check dams for water resources conservation and management (Right), examples of mitigation action in Mae Tha Sub-district Although, climate change mitigation is not the priority for Mae Tha because they consume and use much less resources and energy compared to urban people, so they already emit such small amount of GHG. But the community development direction are related to GHG mitigation, however, they never measure the GHG emission reduction yet. Even though local government can initiate and implement many policies and actions on GHG emission reduction and can provide various benefits for local development, such as, reduction of energy consumption, reduce household expenses, income generation and better for environment, however, in practice, most of local governments do not pay attention to GHG mitigation since they could not see linkages of the mitigation and benefits to their responsibilities. (Kanoksak Duangkaewraun. Interview. November 30, 2013) As states in the 11 th National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) that low carbon society is the country development direction. But it is still unclear how to accomplish this development goal, both at national and local contexts. With this regard, Low Carbon Municipality Project was initiated by The National Municipal League of Thailand (NMLT) with the support from European Union. The project aims to promote mitigation actions at local community and the project is implementing from February 2012 until March There are 168 municipalities participated in the project on the voluntary basis And there are three stages of project implementation which are; 28

29 Stage I: Knowledge dissemination to municipalities and local project teams on climate change and its impacts to local people and the practical adaptation and mitigation actions for local community. State II: Setting up and capacities building of Local Coach Team (approximately persons) to develop community ownership, in order to be resource persons on climate change, to guarantee that mitigation actions will be continue after the project is over. State III: Implementing of mitigation actions in municipalities. Each municipality can design and develop any mitigation actions that are deemed suitable for their community. The project has set up 100 municipalities as a target group with GHG emission reduction of 84,000 kgco2eq. Calculation of GHG emission reduction in this project will be activity-base in each target municipality. Another target of the project is to develop at least five Learning Centers on Low Carbon Municipalities. A key lesson from the project is that local governments, in general, do not give priority to environmental issues. Most of them give priority on local infrastructure development. Thus they are not interested to join this project. There are 2,000 municipalities throughout the country. The project team had sent out the invitation letters to all 2,000 municipalities around the country to join the project, but there were only around 100 municipalities, who responded to the project. Then later, financial support strategy had been used to motivate more local governments to join the project. It is found that there are number of limitations for the adoption of mitigation actions at local level as the following. (Tharee Kamaung.Interview.November 26, 2013) 1) policy implementation is not effective 2) Paradigm shift of Mayors, community leaders, and project co-coordinator. If these people are interested in environmental issues and climate change, implementing of mitigation actions will be effective. 3) Linkage of climate change and the responsibilities of local government. Most of local governments seem that mitigation actions are burden for them rather than supporting their work. 4) Lack of GHG related data management system of local community leading to difficulty in calculation of GHG emission reduction. If local government can analyze co-benefits of mitigation actions and understand how it links to their works, there should be more interests and actions from many local governments. 5) Changing of municipal administrative team also leads to misunderstanding and delay of the implementation To convince local community to adopt mitigation actions, Carrot and Stick is necessary, incentives and co-benefits are important Mrs. Tharee Kamaung, Low Carbon Municipality Project Manager 29

30 Mitigation Actions by Civil Society Another mitigation action at local level is the network of Agri-nature Foundation, leading by Dr.Wiwat Sulayakamton. The main focus is on self-sufficient, organic agriculture, and agro-forestry for both food security and life security, as the better way against commercial agriculture and plantation. Use of chemical fertilizer and pesticide is completely stopped and instead, the key principle is applying local indigenous knowledge for organic agriculture. Furthermore, the royal opinion of King Bhumibol on Three Forests, Four Benefits that combines agro-forestry and socio-economic considerations into a comprehensive approach to afforestation is another key principle. Each farmer should grow timber, fruits and firewood. These are the forests which also offer great three benefits to the people, which are lumber, edible products, and commercial timber. The fourth benefit as the by-product of the Three Forests is the conservation of soil and watersheds. Figure 8: Three Forests, Four Benefits has been introduced to farmers around the country At present, there are 85 Agri-nature centers around the country and the foundation believes that mitigation actions must be conducted at community level by community themselves. The best way is to develop as many real cases of success as we can for proving the real benefits at personal and household level as well as at the community and societal level. Then, each community will develop the agri-nature agriculture and the Three Forests Four Benefits, according to their own potential and capacity. The foundation is discussing with stakeholders and organizations on the proposal to develop 100,000 Agri-nature farmers for each of the total 25 watersheds in Thailand. If one farmer has ten rai 1 of land, there will be one million rai of the agro-forest per watershed (around 1,600 square kilometer or 160,000 hectare). This will lead to huge carbon sequestration together with many other benefits to the farmers, community, and the society (Wiwut Sunlayakumthorn.Interview.November 17, 2013). 1 1 rai =0.4 Acre 30