Climate push comes to Bangkok

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

File photo

 

Experts arrive to map strategy for next major summit on global warming.

 

 

Though Thailand has made impressive progress on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it still faces many challenges and the large implementation gap on the global scale remains to be solved. 

 

These facts have surfaced as Bangkok prepares to host the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference this week.

 

From tomorrow until Sunday, the conference will include sessions of the three UNFCCC subsidiaries – Subsidiary Body for Implementation, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement. The conference, which convenes at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, aims to facilitate a timely completion of the work programme under the Paris Agreement.

 

Climate-change experts and related agencies in Thailand see the conference as an important forerunner to global leaders’ discussion of the issue of de-carbonisation and negotiations for more progressive GHG emission-reduction goals to stabilise global temperatures. 

 

The Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO) revealed that over the past two years, the Kingdom has taken great steps in its GHG-reduction goals. Just last year, it went well beyond its goal of 25.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mt-CO2eq) by reducing over 40.14mt-CO2eq in the energy and logistics sectors. 

 

As per its commitment to the Paris Agreement, Thailand expects to reduce GHG emissions by 20 to 25 per cent in 2030 or equivalent to 110 to 140mt-CO2-eq. This is based on the estimated GHG emission baseline on the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario. 

 

TGO said judging by Thailand’s progress on its GHG emission reduction plan, it should have no problems achieving its Paris Agreement’s commitment by 2030. As per Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution Roadmap on Mitigation 2021–2030, its GHG emissions can be reduced up to 115 mt-CO2eq or 20 per cent without any additional assistance.

 

Data from the Energy Policy and Planning Office revealed that Thailand’s emission rate was rising at a slower pace over the past few years, and the annual GHG emission rate in 2017 had dropped from the year earlier for the first time since 1998.

 

However, TGO pointed out that there were still many challenges for Thailand to overcome before it can become a low-carbon society and achieve more progressive GHG emission reduction goals. The problems the country faces are limited engagement by all stakeholders, lack of comprehensive GHG emission information, and, most importantly, the lack of awareness and public understanding.

 

Meanwhile, Tara Buakamsri, country director for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said another issue of concern was other countries’ commitment to the Paris Agreement. They only contribute to a third of the GHG emission reduction amount that can stabilise the rise of global temperature at around 1.5 degree Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.

 

“There are 125 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement and submitted their nationally determined contributions [NDCs] to reduce GHG emission, which is overall equivalent to 81.36 per cent of the total global GHG emission,” Tara said.

 

“But from the calculation of GHG reduction commitments in all NDCs of the Paris Agreement’s signatories, it can be found that there is still a large implementation gap to stop the global average temperature to not rise over 2 degrees Celsius.” 

 

Therefore, he said the climate change conference in Bangkok will be an important step for the global community to work together on the mission to narrow down this implementation gap in Paris Agreement’s NDCs and push further to have more efficient de-carbonisation methods.

 

“This conference will be a forum for multilateral environmental agreement bodies to improve climate change mitigation tools and prepare the issues of the upcoming 24th Conference of the Parties or COP24 in Poland this December,” he said.

 

“Negotiations in COP24 will be the next turning point for the world to avoid a catastrophic outcome of extreme climate change, because unless the global community can come to an agreement to pursue more ambitious GHG reduction commitments, we have a small chance of stabilising global temperatures. We will put the future of the next generations and the world’s ecosystems in great danger.”This is the third report on the series "Change the Climate"

 

Here is the second report: Climate taking heavy toll

I guess that means the five star hotels will be full for a few days. Nice little boost for the Thai economy and a fun weekend for the delegates. 

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

They only contribute to a third of the GHG emission reduction amount that can stabilise the rise of global temperature at around 1.5 degree Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.

Wow they can stabilize the temperature of the planet now. Amazing how we have advanced in the last few years. 

Hopefully the delegates will arrive by bicycle laden with coal to keep their footprint low and the home fires burning?

They'll still be holding these junkets when the water is lapping round their ankles.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Though Thailand has made impressive progress on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,

Has it?

Just never occurred to me that Thailand could become the Hub of Stabilization. Good idea that.

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Has it?

Not in my neck of the woods it hasnt.

Still have the Brainless Plebs lighting fires on an Industrial scale to burn off all the plastic coating on electric wiring to obtain the copper inside.

Strange how they never hold these junkets on a wet weekend in Manchester. They will all be in the Sheraton or Mandarin at our expense. Oh, and a windfall for the oldest profession.

Thais should love all the global warming stuff, biggest trough in the world to stick your snout into. Just ask Gore how much he's netted.

A nice little jolly for all concerned...

what will probably happen is:

Snooze all day at various seminars, take in a little stroll around the "night sights" to get a taste of Thailands finest assets on offer..

5 star luxury wining & dining... all very nice

 

What won't happen:

Is being stuck in endless traffic jams on the road, trying to navigate the un-made pavements and streets, witness the piles of rubbish stacked high in the rat infested soi's, checkout the plastic floating in the klongs or the endless new construction sites along with the filth etc etc

 

ohhh and Thailand making impressive reductions in green house gases.. I'd like to have that run by me again I think I missed something?

"Nearly 40 percent" of Bangkok will be inundated by as early as 2030 due to extreme rainfall and changes in weather patterns, according to a World Bank report."

"Threatened in the south by the sea, the city is, in the north, very vulnerable to the monsoon floods, and "the specialists anticipate storms of higher intensity in the years to come"

https://www.archyworldys.com/bangkok-underwater-in-2030/

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-sea-bangkok-struggles-afloat.html

 

Edited September 3, 20187 yr by Opl

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Experts arrive to map strategy for next major summit on global warming.

Whoopee doo another climate love-in and gabfest! I expect opportunist Al Gore will be there to take his hat around.

This means lots of committees, conferences, forums and seminars where they can all embrace each other and gorge on seafood buffets. 

If there's any time left after that they can plan how to survive the emissions coming from the thousands of coal fired power stations in India and China and other surrounding countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines and Japan. After all Thailand does not live under a bubble which protects them from such atmospheric pollution. 

Edited September 3, 20187 yr by Cadbury

Totally insane. They come to Bangkok during the rainy season and are going to Poland in December?

Please don't book the ''Summit on Plastic bag and foam bowl abuse''..Thailand not ready ''nit noi''

 ." The problems the country faces are limited engagement by all stakeholders, lack of comprehensive GHG emission information, and, most importantly, the lack of awareness and public understanding."

 

The problem is no one follows the emissions rules. got it

2 hours ago, JerseytoBKK said:

Totally insane. They come to Bangkok during the rainy season and are going to Poland in December?

Well they do have to have a reason to moan "oh the weather is so bad must be climate change hurry get us gazillion $ funding".

On 9/3/2018 at 8:09 AM, canuckamuck said:

Wow they can stabilize the temperature of the planet now. Amazing how we have advanced in the last few years. 

Err, did you read this correctly? They are saying that the reductions agreed at Paris were only one third of that required to stabilise the temperature at 1.5 centigrade above pre-industrial levels. And i fear, that is already out of date, as the world temperature is now about 1 degree above pre-industrial levels already.world global temp

 

The Paris agreement requires emission reductions of over 50% to reach 2 degrees above by 2050, and 80% to reach 1.5 degrees. Current commitments are only sufficient to limit warming to 3 degrees - if those commitments are fully met ......

 

And Thailand's emissions only dropped last year - their reductions are against a 'Business as Usual' scenario which would allow some increases - do you think efficiency improvements etc. is sufficient to offset all those new cars and air-conditioners sold every year?

 

An 80% reduction would require stopping use of all coal, gas and oil ......

 

Now, i think it is a noble ambition, and wish it would happen, and something is better than nothing. Reality - when we get the first major city evacuated due to climate change or a few million dying of heatstroke, then the world might get serious about it. The changes needed would spell the end of capitalism as we know it AND draconian laws. I might see it before i die, just hope one new law will not be the soylent green factory ....

1 minute ago, rickudon said:

Err, did you read this correctly? They are saying that the reductions agreed at Paris were only one third of that required to stabilise the temperature at 1.5 centigrade above pre-industrial levels. And i fear, that is already out of date, as the world temperature is now about 1 degree above pre-industrial levels already.world global temp

 

The Paris agreement requires emission reductions of over 50% to reach 2 degrees above by 2050, and 80% to reach 1.5 degrees. Current commitments are only sufficient to limit warming to 3 degrees - if those commitments are fully met ......

 

And Thailand's emissions only dropped last year - their reductions are against a 'Business as Usual' scenario which would allow some increases - do you think efficiency improvements etc. is sufficient to offset all those new cars and air-conditioners sold every year?

 

An 80% reduction would require stopping use of all coal, gas and oil ......

 

Now, i think it is a noble ambition, and wish it would happen, and something is better than nothing. Reality - when we get the first major city evacuated due to climate change or a few million dying of heatstroke, then the world might get serious about it. The changes needed would spell the end of capitalism as we know it AND draconian laws. I might see it before i die, just hope one new law will not be the soylent green factory ....

If the global temp wasn't stable before industrialization. How you going to make it stable now? It's a silly idea.

We can offset the human effect ........  long term their are other factors which influence climate, from geological factors such as plate tectonics to the Milankovitch cycles - but it is possible we could manipulate the climate by controlling CO2 levels - when we know enough.

I think I should repeat a post I made a few days ago in relation to a previous news topic on this issue of climate change, (Push for Thai climate fund By webfact, August 30)...... just in case anyone is still confused. ?

 

Quote

There's no doubt that pollution is a major problem in the world and should be tackled.

 

Pollution is defined as anything which is harmful to the environment and to our well-being. Major examples are the contamination of water and soil from industrial waste, toxic chemicals, plastic bags, and so on, and contamination of the atmosphere with harmful emissions such sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, heavy metals such as lead, and small particles of carbon which contribute to smog and get into our lungs, causing health problems.

 
Carbon Dioxide is not a pollutant. It's a clear and odourless gas which is essential for all life. Plants cannot grow without it and therefore all creatures that feed on plants cannot survive without CO2.

Increased levels of CO2 encourage the growth of most plants and most food crops that we humans rely upon. A doubling of atmospheric CO2 levels tends to result in a 30%-40% increase in food production, using the same amount of water and chemical fertilizers.

 
Water-stressed plants grown in dry and arid conditions benefit even more from increased CO2 levels. The increase in CO2 causes the leaf spores to shrink in size, resulting in less evaporation, so the plants can thrive on less water.

Those who believe that CO2 is a pollutant seem to be in denial about these obvious benefits of increased CO2 levels, which can be verified in accordance with the best scientific practices. Farmers have been pumping CO2 gas into their greenhouse to increase crop yield for decades.

 
In view of the above points, it's reasonable to wonder why most governments are convinced that CO2 is the major pollutant, the bad guy, the demon, and that reducing the emissions of CO2 will be good for the environment and benefit everyone.

 
Here's the answer. It's a political ploy to get action on the general problem of pollution. The one major emission from the burning of any fossil fuel, whether wood, coal, petrol or gas, is CO2. It's emitted in much greater quantities than the harmful emissions such as SO2, CO, and NOX, and is much more expensive to eliminate or reduce to negligible levels.

 
It's difficult for governments to monitor the emission controls of fossil fuel plants and vehicles when the expense of such monitoring and the effective  control is a major problem, due to corruption, and the need for a society to improve its economic performance to raise living standards.

 
The terrible pollution and smog in China, India and other developing countries, has been due to the construction of cheap and old-fashioned coal power plants, inadequate emission controls on vehicles, and unregulated burn-off in forests and land for agricultural purposes.

 
Such countries have made a choice to tolerate atmospheric and environmental pollution for the sake of economic progress. But who would tolerate climatic devastation for the sake of economic progress?? 

 
In order to get people to behave sensibly and in the best interest of everyone, it's often necessary to exaggerate the penalty. For example, the Christian concept of everlasting Hell after death, for those who have seriously misbehaved in this life, must have a positive effect on those who believe it, but who might have a tendency to behave badly.

 
Likewise, the concept that CO2 emissions, if not checked, will cause extreme weather events that could destroy entire civilizations, provides the incentive for populations to tolerate the high energy prices resulting from the transition to renewables, and makes it easier for politicians and regulators to reduce the 'real' pollution by simply eliminating all fossil fuels.

 
In this sense one could say 'the ends justify the means'. Eventually, hopefully, alternative energy sources, such as solar power, will become both cheaper and cleaner than the best fossil fuel power plants, such as the Ultra-Supercritical coal-fired plants which already have very low emissions of the 'real' pollutants.

 
China has the economic sense to march ahead using the best of both worlds; manufacturing electric cars, electric buses, and solar panels, as well as building the latest Ultra-Supercritical Coal-fired power plants for the sake of their greater reliability of energy supply.

 
It's a pity that other countries, like Australia, don't have the nous to do that. ☹️

 

Edited September 5, 20187 yr by VincentRJ