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Country Experience : Sustainable Consumption and Production of Thailand

Wilasinee Poonuchaphai

German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)

….Contributes to Green Growth : A Path of Good Governance Seminar

29 March-1 April 2010, Seoul, Korea

• Thailand’s Strategies on SCP have been developed to accommodate the 10th National Economic and Social Development Plan

• The plan follows H.M. King Bhumipol’s philosophy on sustainable development via sufficiency.

• To achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable development, specific strategies, road maps and work plans are required. SCP has been developed in conjunctions with other national strategies to ensure the success of 10th Plan implementation.

• The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) is responsible for formulating, implementing, and evaluating national plans and strategies.

• SCP identifies implementing agencies which are responsible for developing road maps and detailed work plans. NESDB then acts as SCP coordinator

• SCP indicators and performance evaluation criteria have been designed

Getting SCP Process Started:

1992, Thailand set up the Ministry of Science Technology andEnvironment, which later changed its name to Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, was responsible for Agenda 21

Main activity was to promote Sustainable Production by promoting Cleaner Technologies. After the Johannesburg Declaration on SustainableDevelopment,

Competitiveness andSustainable Development Promotion Committee appointed by cabinet.

In2004, the committee initiated the green government procurement policy to promote production and consumption of environmental friendly products or “green products”.

Thailand’s SCP Development process

Thailand case I : Standard and Green Labeling

• The Thai Green Label Scheme was initiated by the Thailand Business Council for Sustainable Development (TBCSD)

• Launched in August 1994 by Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) in association with the Ministry of Industry.

• Green Label is an environmental certification awarded to specific products that are shown to have minimum detrimental impact on the environment in comparison with other products serving the same function.

• The Thai Green Label Scheme applies to products and services, not including foods, drinks, and pharmaceuticals. 

• Participation in the scheme is voluntary

Objectives:

To provide reliable information and guide customers in their choice of products

To create an opportunity for consumers to make an environmentally conscious decision

To reduce environmental impacts which may occur during manufacturing, utilization, consumption and disposal of products.

Criteria Development :

An environmental assessment of the product using life cycle consideration, taking into account all aspects of environmental protection.

Solving specific issues of high political priority, e.g. reduction of waste production, and minimization of energy and water consumption.

Capability to meet proposed criteria with reasonable process modification and/or improvement.

Possession of appropriate test methods.

Thai Green Label criteria for 39 categories (11 categories are under the study)

Participation in the scheme is voluntary and there are 30 companies have been awarded the Green Label certification at this time

Remark : Campaigning CFL measure

Thailand has been promoting Compact Florescence Lamp (CFL): Energy efficiency No.5 more 10 years, initiated by Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)

In year 2007, it estimated that 3 million CFL have been replaced

Reducing electricity consumption 1,500 million unit/year

Cost saving 4,500 million BHT/year

Reducing electricity demand 300 MegaWATT/year

CO2 reduction 700,000 Tons/year

(equivalent to 240,00 car/year)

25 Watt CFL

Saving 1,574 BHT

(49 US Dollas)

Measure for campaigning CFL ; Energy Effi No 5

Advertisement through all media

Distributing free 800,000 CFL throughout Thailand

Cooperating with private CFL producers to develop the market mechanism of CFL e.g. price incentive

Joint implementation with distributors, retailers or other trade channel e.g. 7-11 for distributing CFL

Other labeling scheme : Carbon Footprint

• Thailand Greenhouse Management Organization is promoting the carbon footprint in order to support the Thai industrial sector in implementing the low carbon trend..

• The use of a carbon footprint on Thai products should increase the competitiveness of Thai industries in the world market

• The carbon footprint takes into account the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from each production unit for the whole life cycle of a particular product.

• So far, 20 producers (20 products) applied to the first commitment period (April 2009 to October 2009)

• A training courses on data collection and calculation of the carbon footprint will be supported by National Metal and Materials Technology Center, Thailand (MTEC) and National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) as well as LCA experts from universities.

National LCI database

Other labeling

Thailand case III : Bio Gas

Methane

65%

CO2

3

0%

Others

5%

Component of Bio Gas

• UASB and fixed-dome are most popular technology in Thailand

• EPPO has provided subsidy continuously for nearly 15 years

Energy aspects Reflect to renewable energy policy Reducing energy import from outside country

Enviromental aspects Reducing waste water pollution Reducing Methane gas emssion (CH4)

Social aspects Reducing odor, air, waste water pollution Composting fertilizer

Year 2006 Number of pig 7.15 million Waste Water capacity 76 Million m3 /year

Equivalent to (per year)

Fuel oil 160 Mil Littre Diesel 175 Mil Littre benzene 195 Mil Littre LPG 134 Mil. Kg. Electricity 407 Mil kWh Wood 436 Mil Kg.

Bio gas capacity 291 Million m3 /year

Biogas pool project at Sobsa Village

The main biogas pipeline

connected to digester

The main biogas pipeline belong to main street of village

Sub-pipeline connected to household

Benefit :

• For household, the saving of LPG is around US$ 2,948.40 (US$70.20 per household)

• For the farm, the saving is around US$ 386.66 or 991.43kg.

• Intangible benefit : pathogen control, odour and air pollution,

and water pollution prevention,

Potential of Bio Gas production : Industrial sector

Categories Amount Capacity(Mi.m3 /Year)

Done On process

Amount Capacity(Mi.m3 /Year)

Amount Capacity(Mi.m3 /Year)

Starch Industry 69 308 35 199 34 109

Alcohol, Liquor, Beer 39 90 23 15 16 76

Frozen Food 52 21 10 2 50 19

Canned Food 45 14 7 2 43 12

Butchery 2,997 0.67 11 0.21 2986 0.46

Palm Oil 58 86 5 2 53 84

Total 3,260 519 91 220 3,192 299

Year 2006

Weakest points for SCP implementation

Implementation is ad hoc and project based

There are many line ministries / departments involved but coordination has not been built in place

The existing projects of line agencies are more on SP, with limited actions on SC)

The outcome is rather slow

No feedback system

Future planning and implementation of concerted SCP Institutional framework and in particular coordination need to be

strengthened (strengthening, coordination)

Regulatory framework must be updated (updates of relevant Laws and regulations)

Capacity building (training/education) & Awareness Raising not only with policy makers but also private sectors and civil society at large are essential to foster SCP

Mechanisms for driving the implementation of SCP must be developed (economic measures profitable for both C and P)

M & E (indicators, measurements, MIS) framework and activities must be developed in order to provide decision makers with relevant information

Thanks for Attention