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The Partnership: from left: Mr. Yuxue Xue, UNDP Thailand Deputy Resident Representative, Mr. Surachai Saengthaksin, Director of the Eastern Regional Environmental Office, Mr. Monthien Thongnit, Chonburi Vice Governor, and Mr. Sirithan Pairojboriboon, TGO Executive Director |
First Regional Launch of MDG Carbon Facility
Chonburi 16-17 June 2008 - Over a hundred representatives from local government organisations in the 5 eastern provinces of Thailand joined a workshop on how to take advantage of the proliferating global carbon market and benefit from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), a scheme whereby projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and contribute to sustainable development are rewarded with certified emission reduction credits.
The event was co-hosted by UNDP Thailand, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Eastern Regional Environmental Office. A four-year project to promote the widespread adoption of grid-connected renewable energy in rural areas of Mae Hong Son province has been approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) council, with a budget of approximately US$3 million.
The workshop entitled “Opportunities for the Local Government Organisations in the Eastern Provinces in Developing CDM Projects” presented a unique forum in which the Government, the private sector, and international organisations could jointly discuss the challenges and benefits of supporting local government organisations to initiate CDM projects. It also marked the very first occasion that UNDP introduced the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) Carbon Facility at the regional level in Thailand.
The MDG Carbon Facility was set up to broaden access to the global carbon market to groups that have limited opportunities to undertake the complex and highly technical process of developing CDM projects. The Facility also aims to promote emission reduction projects that contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
In Thailand, the MDG Carbon Facility has a particular focus on supporting local government organisations to develop CDM projects, especially on waste-to-energy conversion. The ultimate objective is to enhance the capacity of local authorities across the country in local environmental management, in line with the ongoing decentralisation process.
The project, which is part of a wider effort on climate change mitigation in Thailand, is also being supported by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives.
UNDP Thailand, in partnership with TGO, plans to organise a series of workshops to introduce CDM projects and the opportunities offered by the MDG Carbon Facility to local organisations in other regions of Thailand throughout 2008.
For more information on MDG Carbon Facility, please visit
www.undp.org/mdgcarbonfacility and www.undp.or.th/thai/resources/publications.html for the booklet on MDG Carbon Facility in Thai.
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For more information, please contact:
Phansiri Winichagoon, Progamme Manager, Environment Unit, phansiri.winichagoon@undp.org; UNDP Thailand; 02 288 1827 or Sutharin Koonphol, Programme Officer, Environment Unit: sutharin.koonphol@undp.org; UNDP Thailand; 02 288 2148
