Bangkok: Eight agencies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Thai-German Cooperation on Energy, Transport and Climate Change (TGC EMC) to jointly support Thailand in achieving its climate goals. This cooperation aims to unite all agencies so that Thailand can achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065. According to Thai News Agency, the TGC EMC project is supported by the International Climate Change Initiative (IKI) under the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), with the German International Cooperation (GIZ) co-driven by seven government agencies in Thailand. These include the Department of Climate Change (DEC), Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), and Bangkok Metropolitan A
dministration (BMA).
The presence of multi-sectoral partners makes TGC EMC stand out in ‘Sector Coupling’. This approach does not focus on any particular sector, but rather looks at climate challenges holistically, requiring multi-sectoral cooperation to address them. Ms. Insa Ilgen, Director of the Thai-German Cooperation on Energy, Transport and Climate Change (TCG EMC), emphasized the commitment of the TGC EMC project and its partners to support Thailand over the next three years in line with the Thai government’s goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
In her speech, Ms. Ilgen explained the theme of ‘Sector Coupling,’ which is central to both the event and global energy transition efforts to make a real difference. She stated that focusing solely on electricity and increasing renewable energy production is not enough; implementing energy efficiency measures and scaling up renewable energy use across all sectors is crucial.
Supporting this initiative, Mr. Philip Behrens from the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) delivered a video speech underscoring the ministry’s unwavering commitment and support for Thailand-German cooperation in the areas of energy, transport, and climate. Mr. Behrens also provided valuable insights into Sector Coupling as a key element in driving a sustainable energy transition.