BANGKOK – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin delivered a special speech at the EARTH JUMP 2024: The Edge of Action event, emphasizing the importance of addressing global warming and promoting investment in Thailand, particularly in the clean energy sector. The Prime Minister highlighted the following key points:
- Foreign investors prioritize incentives, power neutrality, and clean energy, areas where Thailand has many advantages, such as low cost of living and favorable laws.
2. Thailand collaborates with neighboring countries in the trade of clean energy, such as Laos, which wants to sell electricity from dams, and Singapore, which wants to sell clean energy through Thailand’s transmission lines.
3. France is an interesting example of clean energy utilization, and Thailand should seriously study the use of nuclear energy.
The Prime Minister stated that France is an interesting country when it comes to clean energy utilization, with clean energy accounting for up to 90% of its total energy consumption, including nuclear energy. He emphasized that the country must begin to seriously study nuclear energy and continue discussions on this topic in the future, while also ensuring that the public understands it.
4. The government focuses on promoting agricultural practices that help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and encourages financial institutions to support clean energy businesses.
5. The government will issue green bonds to raise funds for environmentally friendly projects and cooperate with the stock exchange to promote the listing of companies engaged in green businesses.
He urged private financial institutions to provide financial support to companies involved in clean energy, solar roofs, and EVs, which the government is trying to continue working on. As for various loans, the government will have sustainability promotion bonds, a new type of debt instrument in the green bond category, to serve as a source of funding for global social development.
“I admit that we still haven’t done well in terms of funding and still have to rely on the capital market. Therefore, I have discussed with the Stock Exchange of Thailand about supporting the listing of companies on the stock market, giving importance to companies involved in green businesses to get listed, because the capital market plays a crucial role in developing a green global society,” the Prime Minister said.
6. The Prime Minister is confident that by 2040, Thailand will have a 50% share of clean energy in its total energy consumption, utilizing energy from dams and developing other clean energy sources.
7. The Prime Minister emphasizes the importance of pushing business operators, especially large companies, to prioritize the use of environmentally friendly energy to prevent export problems and attract investment in the future.
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