Sudden blast of super-hot days a climate wake-up call for Thailand, say experts
The number of “super-hot days” has been increasing every year in Thailand, culminating in double the rate of heatstroke deaths this year.
Global temperatures have been on the rise since the industrial revolution, notes Dr. Witsanu Attavanich, a Kasetsart University lecturer and climate-change expert. Continued …
GSTC 2026 to elevate Thailand toward sustainable tourism
Phuket has been selected as the venue for the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference: GSTC 2026, aligning with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s vision. This choice underscores the ambition to elevate Thailand into a premier destination for sustainable tourism on the global stage. #gstcphuket
Srettha expressed gratitude to all relevant agencies for their efforts in propelling Thailand to be selected as the host country for GSTC 2026, scheduled for April that year in Phuket province. The government will highlight the economic potential of the Andaman coastline, advancing six provinces toward becoming sustainable tourism hubs. Continued …
Chiang Mai, Bangkok rank in world’s top 10 for worst air quality
The IQAir website reports air quality indexes from around the world. Chiang Mai and Bangkok were found to have the 5th and 6th highest dust levels in the world.
With a current air quality index (AQI) of 160, Chiang Mai is in the red zone, slightly ahead of Bangkok at 155. The high levels of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter has serious impacts on respiratory health of the public, according to experts. Continued …
Southeast Asia: World’s Dumping Ground for Plastic Waste
In the wake of China’s 2018 ban on plastics recycling, criminal organizations have been illegally shipping waste to Southeast Asia, passing through “multiple transit countries” to camouflage the origins of the shipments, according to Interpol, with “significant use of counterfeit documents and fraudulent waste registrations.” Some plastic waste reaches Asia from Italy by way of its neighbor Slovenia. #plasticwasteasia
It is a problem that an OECD committee, meeting this week in Ottawa, is attempting to address by seeking to thrash out legally binding controls to stop what is called “waste trafficking,” which remains insidious and is growing. Continued …
Recycling Thailand’s garbage, 1 second-hand shirt at a time
Some workers who toil away at a municipal dump in Bangkok have found a novel way of reducing Thailand’s waste and helping the environment, while pocketing a little extra cash from collecting garbage.
Chalauy Sai-utha, better known as “Auntie Ton,” is leading a team of people who scavenge through piles of trash at the dump in Nong Khaem district. They pluck out clothes and other discarded items that they hope to recycle before selling them as second-hand goods. Continued …
Push for new power trade system
Businesses are repeating their call for the government to change the country’s electricity trade from the decade-long enhanced single buyer (ESB) system because it does not facilitate increased use of renewable power.
Officials can partially or gradually change the ESB scheme, but they urgently need to consider taking action, said the Federation of Thai Industries’ Renewable Energy Industry Club. Continued …
Kasikornbank and SUN group fund Thai solar startup Ion Energy
Kasikornbank’s subsidiary Beacon Venture Capital has collaborated with Indonesia’s Solar United Network (SUN) Group to complete a Series A funding round for Ion Energy, a solar energy startup based in Thailand. The funding round closed at US$3 million. Ion Energy offers affordable, clean energy solutions to both residential and commercial sectors within Thailand.
Beacon Venture Capital Managing Director Thanapong Na Ranong explained that since the establishment of Beacon Impact Fund in February 2023, Ion Energy is the first Thai startup to secure investment. Continued …
Climate Technology Platform launched to reduce carbon footprints
True Digital and Alibaba Cloud on Monday launched an AI-based platform aimed at supporting organizations in implementing sustainability goals.
The two industry giants collaborated to build the Climate Technology Platform for businesses to tackle energy-efficiency challenges and implement technologies that can help guide businesses to reach their net-carbon goals. Continued …
TOA Unveils Green Mission for Net Zero by 2050
TOA Paint (Thailand), or TOA, has unveiled its green mission policy, reinforcing its position as a leader in the decorative paint and construction materials market with a comprehensive road map to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
This initiative aims to integrate sustainable practices into the organization, strengthening its success by obtaining the highest carbon footprint reduction (CFR) labels for 40 products, as it grows into its 60th year. Continued …
Isuzu Ready To Launch EV Pickup Truck In 2025 In Thailand
Isuzu Motors, known for its tough commercial and pickup vehicles, has plans to release a fully electric truck pickup in Southeast Asia or, to be precise, in Thailand by 2025. This is a company’s strategic step to deal with competition in the fast-growing electric vehicle market in the region.
Reporting from Nikkei Asia, Isuzu Motors chose to focus on the Southeast Asian market, which is the company’s main market. It plans to maintain its highest market share here, especially with increasing demand for electric vehicles. Continued …
Global electric vehicle demand to improve
Electric vehicle (EV) demand, made up of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), continues to grow despite economic currents. Global volumes grew 35% year-on-year in 2023 to reach 14.2 million units, equating to a market share of 16.7%, up from 13.6% in 2022. For the first time since 2020, PHEVs (up 47%) grew faster than BEVs (up 30%).
In 2024, EV Volumes expects 16.6 million EV sales, equating to a 19.2% share of the light-vehicle market. Therefore, plug-in deliveries are forecast to grow by 17%, while the total market is only expected to improve by 1%. Continued …