Thailand

Last updated: September 2024

The country is one of the priority countries with which the International Climate Initiative (IKI) maintains a particularly close cooperation.

Thailand is one of the countries with the highest level of biodiversity in the world. According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), about 15,000 different plant species are found in Thailand. The country suffers severely from the impacts of climate change. According to the long-term Climate Risk Index, prepared by Germanwatch in 2021 for the years 2000 to 2019, the country is listed as the ninth most vulnerable country in the world. The World Bank identifies the highest risks in floods, tropical cyclones and droughts, among others.

At the 2021 World Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Thailand strengthened its climate objectives - with CO₂ neutrality by 2050 and net zero emissions by 2065. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) were revised in 2022 prior to the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. Thailand is planning to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 40 per cent by 2030 compared to the predicted business-as-usual (BAU) level. In the previous version, this figure was 20 per cent compared to the BAU level.

The country had revised its long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy (LT-LEDS) for the COP27 and submitted it at the UNFCCC.

A Climate Change Act and a National Energy Plan (NEP) are currently being drafted.

The updated National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was submitted in November 2023.

Thailand supports the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) in the area of biodiversity. The framework is the basis for the completion of the fifth Thai National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2023-2027). Thailand is also currently developing a long-term biodiversity strategy (2024-2050).
The IKI supports projects in Thailand from all four funding areas.

The majority of the funds are implemented in the funding area of mitigation, including projects on climate-friendly consumption and production, urban climate protection and the energy and mobility transition.

In the funding area of adaptation, work is being carried out bilaterally on nature-based solutions (NbS) in cities and globally on land use and agriculture through NDCs and NAPs.

As part of the IKI country call with Thailand in 2019, two projects are currently being promoted on the adaptation in urban areas and on NDC implementation in the energy and transport sectors.

Interface project

Most priority countries of the IKI also engage in so-called IKI interface projects, which have permanent project offices in the capital city of the respective country. Alongside their own, country-specific project commission, these interface projects are also tasked with maintaining close contact to environment and climate ministries as well as networking with other relevant ministries in the field of climate and biodiversity policy. Beyond this, the interface projects also work to network all of the IKI projects in the country and region together so as to promote synergies.

The interface function is currently represented by the Project for Climate Policy and Biodiversity in Thailand.

Project priorities

Development of policy guidelines, instruments, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for climate and biodiversity measures;
Promotion of climate and biodiversity objectives in the areas of marine and coastal resources and sustainable tourism;
Promotion of mainstreaming of climate change policy into the sector ministries and at the subnational level;
Function as an IKI interface: Promotion of dialogue on climate and biodiversity between the IKI projects in the country as well as between other actors (networking opportunities and knowledge management).

Project contact

IKI-Thailand(at)giz.de

Link to project page

IKI Thailand Newsletter (sign up page)

Insights into the project work

All projects in the country

Links

Project: Thailand - Low Emission Rice (Mitigation Action Facility)

Thailands Long Term Strategy (LT-LEDS)

In a nutsthell

Region: Asia

Population: 71.8 million (World Bank, 2023)

CO₂eq emissions (incl. LUCF): 449.5 million t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

CO₂eq emissions per capita (incl LUCF): 6.3 t (ClimateWatch, 2021)

Total energy supply (IRENA, 2021):

17 % RE (94 % Bioenergy - 2 % Hydro/marine - 1 % Wind - 2 % Solar)
44 % Oil
28 % Gas
11 % Coal + others

IKI projects in the country (last updated: June 2024):

bilateral: 4 ongoing, 13 completed
regional: 10 ongoing, 10 completed
global: 15 ongoing, 26 completed

ClimateWatch

NDC partnership: country page

IKI partner ministries:

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE)
Ministry of Energy (MoE)
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC)
Ministry of Transport (MoT)
Ministry of Industry (MIND)
Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI)

The IKI Strategy

The IKI wants to maximise its impact on climate action and biodiversity conservation. To this end, it concentrates its funding activities on prioritised fields of action within the four funding areas. Another key element is the close cooperation with selected partner countries, especially with the IKI’s priority countries.

Click here for the IKI Strategy