With climate change posing a severe threat to all corners of the globe, Manu Leopairote, the forward-thinking Chairperson of Informa Markets Thailand, voiced his concerns. The progressive and perilous increase of global temperatures, recurring evidence of global warming and the relentless natural calamities are harbingers of an impending catastrophe on a global scale, Leopairote opined.
He posited that the onus falls on everyone to shoulder personal responsibility for these global issues and step up to the task at hand. Moreover, rallying together to confront climate change head-on is a mission of paramount global importance, he stated. Aligning with this environmental commitment, Thailand has set ambitious environmental targets, vowing to accomplish carbon neutrality by 2050 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065.
The ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week, under Leopairote’s directive, is regarded as the top electric vehicle (EV) exhibition cum conference in Thailand. It endeavours to stimulate the clean energy transformation within the business realm. Under the thematic banner “Powering the clean energy transition towards carbon neutrality goal”, the event heralds a congregation of stakeholders from the energy industry; flaunting cutting-edge products, pioneering technologies, and innovative solutions from a wide array of over 1,500 brands.
The event also featured a plethora of insightful conversations on renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental impact, and EV, hosted by international industry leaders, all designed to cater to the diverse needs of the business community.
Backing Thailand’s pursuit of carbon neutrality, Krisda Utamote, President of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT), reported that worldwide EV sales surpassed 10 million units in the previous year. He stated that electric cars accouted for a staggering 40% of all new car sales in 2022, a significant leap from 9% in 2021 and a paltry 5% in 2020.
Utamote placed the credit for this surge in Thailand’s EV sales, which registered a 48% annual increase, on the government’s inventive scheme for EV buyers and manufacturers. He also noted with optimism the continuous evolution of Thailand’s EV sector. As part of the support system to bolster Thailand’s mission of carbon neutrality, EVAT is keen on backing the complete EV industry, thereby injecting vitality into the growth of the EV ecosystem, Utamote added.
Prof. Navadol Laosirapojana, Director of the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, highlighted the impressive strides renewable energy development has made in recent years, facilitated by scientific and technological advancements. He detailed the substantial improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness brought by these advancements in the domain of renewable technology.
He insisted on the vital need to adopt renewable energy for energy decarbonisation, especially critical in the realm of power generation, in order to counter climate risks. Prof. Laosirapojana revealed his optimism for the ASEAN region, especially countries like Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, which face significant climate risks. He forecasted that green hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation, and storage would play a major role in a future transition towards low-carbon energy. He concluded by stating that the successful accomplishment of these environmental objectives would hinge on robust collaboration among the government, industry, and academia.
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