Measures to Promote Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Towards Net-zero Carbon Emissions

Efforts to combat climate change have led several countries to establish a carbon neutral emission target. Thailand has pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 30-40 percent by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050. The energy sector is critical to obtaining these objectives because it accounts for nearly 70 percent of the country’s total emissions. While energy-related government agencies are making efforts to reduce emissions, they are struggling with prioritization of measures that address both public and private needs. This study aims to prioritize measures that government agencies should implement to promote renewable energy, and support energy efficiency across four sectors: power, industry, transportation, and business. The research adopts data triangulation which combines information from theory and policy tools, thorough reviews of international case studies, and focus group discussions (FGD) held in four provinces in Thailand: Khon Kaen, Phuket, Rayong, and Bangkok. The sectoral policy matrix divides measures into four categories: regulatory measures, taxation, subsidies or incentives, and voluntary agreements. This study suggests prioritizing measures that benefit multiple sectors, such as supporting carbon credit trading and raising awareness on the importance of reducing GHG emissions. The policy matrices will assist government agencies in designing and combining measures in different categories in the sectors that they are interested in.