Project News

On 7-9 August 2019, the Project held the regional training course on "Climate Change and Sustainable Development" in Bangkok under Climate Change International and Technical Training Center (CITC) which is operated by Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) and the counterpart of the Project. This training was co-organized by Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. The total of 46 participants from all 10 ASEAN Member States, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, attended the training.

The training was designed for central government officials engaged in climate change issues in Southeast Asia, and it aims to provide them with the latest knowledge and deep understanding on climate change, especially implementation of the Paris Agreement and Circular Economy.

Group work by trainees

For the first focus topic, which is the required actions by countries under the Paris Agreement rulebook (or Katowice Climate Package), international and Thai experts including representatives from UN agencies shared the latest knowledge and experience that are useful for trainees to consider how to respond to the above international requirements in a sufficient and timely manner. After these lectures, the trainees discussed in group about the current challenges each country is facing regarding the required works by countries such as revision of the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) and preparation of BTR (Biennial Transparency Report), and discussed how to overcome such challenges through various domestic measures.

Site visit to SCG Experience

In the latter sessions of the training, trainees learned another focus topic on "Circular Economy," which is a concept that has been recently gathering wide attentions in many countries. Through lectures and exercises on this new concept, the trainees recognized the linkages with their ongoing national economic and environmental policies and measures, but at the same time, trainees realized further innovative actions are required to achieve the circular development.

On the last day of the training, the trainees attended a site visit to the SCG Experience, which is an exhibition for circular products and business and observed how the company has incorporated the circular concept into their business activities.

The Project will continue the support for TGO so that CITC can further promote planning and implementation of climate change measures in Southeast Asia through capturing emerging global trend such as the Circular Economy and disseminate a wide range of climate-related knowledge as a regional platform of Southeast Asia.