The Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), in cooperation with German International Cooperation Organization (GIZ), organized a symposium titled “Thailand Climate Finance Conference: From International to Domestic Mechanism” with the aim of raising awareness about the significance of climate finance.
In his keynote address, Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resource and Environment, said Thailand still needs a lot of international support in terms of finance, investment, technology transfer, and capacity building, especially in advanced technology with a reduction in greenhouse gas emission. All sectors must be aware of the problem of climate change, which is now at an important turning point and must be addressed before the impact becomes irreversible.
Following Thailand’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065, it is pivotal that all sectors are aware of climate change financing mechanisms and sources of funding for climate action.
Mr. Hans-Ulrich Suebeck, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Economic Department, the Embassy of Germany in Thailand, stressed that Germany recognizes the significance of climate finance as a means of implementation to transform political climate commitments into real action, and that there is a need to collaborate and work as partners to address the climate crisis. The partnership involves also Germany and Thailand with their 160 years of relations.
In this event, the experience and policy direction to create enabling conditions were showcased through a panel discussion among ONEP, the Bank of Thailand, the Thailand Board of Investment, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). More than 200 representatives of government agencies, the private sector, the education sector, the public sector, and independent organizations attended the event.
