Having a clear vision and declaring to the people, to investors, and to the mass media will create awareness and clarity in terms of Thailand’s policy direction, thus giving them confidence in the country.
2. Identify a strategy to support clean investment
Nowadays, the government supports investment with no clear strategy, and the private sector steps forward on less government support. Therefore, the government should help to identify strategy, policy scope and how to implement the strategy effectively, targeting investors and supporting, as well as servicing them after their investments have been made. Apart from these measures, it is necessary to make connections of investment and other economic and social activities and to push international and domestic financial Institutions to support lower-carbon investment, especially through outward investment promotion, investment guarantees and credit risk guarantees.
3. Enable the transferring of clean technology
Nowadays Thailand is an importer of technology rather than a producer, and technology transfer as a result of foreign direct investment in Thailand is less. Thus, in the future, the government should identify policy that supports technology transfer, including clean technology. Connections should also be made between multinational companies and local entrepreneurs to get the most benefit from technology transfers. Moreover, the government should also develop the capability of local entrepreneurs to be valuable links in the chain at world level, strengthening them to absorb technology, support cooperation to build technology and share the knowledge of it between industries and entrepreneurs within the country.
4. Push international investment agreements forward toward decreased carbon emissions and climate change impacts
Nowadays, the government is open to opinion on free trade negotiation agreements between Thailand and the European Union and collects useful information for government decision-making on FTA agreements. At this point, I think that EU negotiations will be very useful for Thailand in term of environmental standards because the EU has higher standards and is more technologically advanced than Thailand.
Apart from FTA agreements between Thailand and the EU, trade agreements with other countries should also be identified with regard to investment that is environmentally friendly and builds understanding among countries, thus affirming these investment agreements as consistent with the country’s policy on climate change.
5. Harmonize disclosure on corporate greenhouse gas emissions
At this present time, for its report to UNFCC, Thailand has modified the country’s national data account of greenhouse gas release. However, where the data collection of the business sector perhaps matches only the concerns of its individual organizations, this data collection may not meet with government sector or worldwide standards.
Hence, the government sector should set its data collection standards according to world standards. Specifications should reveal the level of greenhouse gases released during company operations and activities, enforcing this through existing regulations that would, for example, see it regulated as an added condition for a company seeking stock exchange registration.
6. Establish a Low-carbon Technical Assistance Centre: L-TAC)
Investments to lower carbon emissions or carbon credit trading are very detailed, highly complex and difficult to understand. So the government sector should help to support the private sector and the general public by establishing a Low-carbon Technical Assistance Centre that engages many experts and organizations who can help with suggestions and support for implementing plans related to this issue, as well as plans to decrease the impacts of environmental change.
I believe that people everywhere will agree that environmental investment to lower carbon emissions and the impact of climate change is investment that will sustain our future economy. Apart from the temporary concerns of short-term economic growth, these are issues which both the government and the private sector should prioritize.
Dr Kriengsak Chareonwongsak
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School , Harvard University
kriengsak@kriengsak.com, kriengsak.com, drdancando.com
Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School , Harvard University
kriengsak@kriengsak.com, kriengsak.com, drdancando.com
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น