Firms urged to cut greenhouse gas levels
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
A new system of carbon labelling is planned to enable consumers to identify goods manufactured with a minimal release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Sirithan Pairojboriboon, director of Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO), said yesterday a committee of experts would be set up to examine manufacturers' applications to use the new carbon labels.
''The experts will calculate a product's carbon dioxide (CO2) emission level by taking into account the manufacturing process, raw materials used and the product's shelf-life,'' said Mr Sirithan.
These emission labels would show five different levels of greenhouse gas reduction, from 10%-50%.
A 10% label would mean the manufacturer had lowered the CO2 emission level by only 10% from its conventional process.
''Carbon labelling allows Thai consumers to directly participate in the fight to counter global warming,'' he said.
At least four giant manufacturers had expressed their intention of joining the programme, expected to be fully launched by the end of the year, he said.
They are Tetra Pak (Thai), SCG Group, Advance Agro (the manufacturer of Double A paper) and Chevrolet Thailand.
Mr Sirithan expected more consumer goods producers to apply for the labels because they would then be seen as promoting an image of environmental protection.
Products carrying the carbon labels were also expected to enjoy greater export sales, he said.
''The European Union has geared up for the enforcement of new environmental regulations requiring imported products to have a carbon label,'' said the TGO chief.
The organisation is also tasked with reviewing the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects for approval under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Mr Sirithan said the TGO had approved 38 of the CDM projects so far, mostly biogas or biomass power plant projects.
Altogether they were expected to reduce carbon emissions by 2.86 million tonnes per year, bringing the country around 1.4 billion baht in carbon credits.
The CDM is a mechanism designed to help industrialised countries reach their carbon sink targets by investing in clean technology or afforestation projects in developing countries in exchange for the credits.
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