PLAN TO CAPTURE ‘BIG DATA’ ON GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS
>> In a bid to reduce greenhouse emissions, the environmental ministry will launch a Thailand Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory system (TGEIS) to capture big data for greenhouse gases management.
The system will monitor emissions from five sectors — energy and transport, industry, waste management, agriculture, and forest and land use, according to Raweewan Bhuridej, secretary-general of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep), the country’s focal point agency for climate change policy.
These five sectors are major contributors of Earth-warming greenhouse gas emissions, with the energy and transport sector at the top, accounting for more than half of emissions generated in the country, according to Onep information. The TGEIS will collect environmental data to upload to the Onep computer system for verifying and monitoring. If implemented, the system will be the first big data captured about Thailand’s emissions. The system is expected to be launched in the near future.
Ms Raweewan said the office is going to ask the cabinet to approve the TGEIS project.
Another Onep proposal is the use of financial penalties such as carbon taxes to reduce emissions, she said, refusing to elaborate which sectors may be affected.
“We will use both taxation and intensive measures to make sure that our emission reductions are on track. We are looking to expand carbon taxes to other areas, together with creating more incentives for business operators who are able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Ms Raweewan, adding that the office is consulting with the finance ministry over the possibility of levying taxes on emission generators.
Cars have been taxed for their carbon emissions since 2016, and the ministry of finance’s Excise Department is also on the way to levying a similar tax on motorcycles.
These proposals are part of the country’s action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2030. In December 2016, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made a commitment to the world community at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Under the plan, Thailand has pledged to reduce emissions by 111 million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide through adopting cleaner technology and energy saving measures.