For
the first time ever a Thai polititian has set a target for reducing
carbon emissions. The govenor of Bangkok, Apirak Kosayodhin, announced
an ambitious target of a 15% reduction in emissions in the capital
within 5 years as a response to the United Nations World Environment
Day.
With the announcement
comes a draft action plan for Bangkok. With 24% of greenhouse gas
emissions coming from Bangkok and the threat of flooding as a result
of rising sea levels, Govemor Apirak said that bangkok must take
the lead. The action plan consists of both soft and hard measures
to reduce carbon emissions such as tree planting, car pooling, renewable
energy and mass transport systems as well as the posibility of driving
restrictions in congested areas.
The action plan
has now been released in order to receive feedback for modification
and implementation will take place in August.
Similarly to
elsewhere in the world, leading scientists have blamed the government
for not investing enough money into research into the effects of
global warming and they point out that rising sea levels could have
dire consequences on rice production which in turn would have serious
implications on both food security and export revenue.
Although it
is only just a start, it would seem that Govenor Apirak should be
congratulated for raising the profile of this issue in Thailand.
This news is
even more pertinent on the day of the G8 summit where the US has
declared it will not sign up to the German proposal of leading industrial
nations cutting CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050. Instead the US has
suggested that the worst CO2 emitting nations, including China and
India, work together to formulate a long-term solution to the problem. |
