The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has been working closely with Japan to find ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the capital, as the city aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Thursday chaired a seminar at the Bangkok Climate and Energy Action Conference for Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emission at the Sukosol Hotel. The event was co-hosted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) and Yokohama City.
Attendees included Takuro Tasaka, minister and chief of the economic division of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand; Jica representative Ryoichi Kawabe; Pornphrom Vikitsreth, an adviser to the Bangkok governor; and executive officials from the BMA's environment department.
The BMA has received support from Jica for over 15 years, dating back to the first Bangkok Global Warming Mitigation Action Plan (2007-2012) that was tasked with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15%. It was followed by two more plans including the current version (2021–2030) which aims to reduce such emissions by a further 19%.
This aligns with the Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 which maps out a global framework to mitigate climate change and limit global warming to well below 2C, Mr Chadchart said.
"Greenhouse gases and global warming are of crucial importance. Many countries have issued policies to try and resolve these issues. And the BMA has long been working with Jica to limit its carbon footprint," he said. "As the major causes of carbon emissions are the transport -- 28% -- and energy -- 16% -- sectors, we will further promote mass transportation to reduce the use of personal vehicles."