Free Content: Thailand to pilot EV mining trucks in the mining and construction industry to bolster ESG and sustainability standards

PM2.5 fine dust pollution has returned to engulf Bangkok, with the air quality index in some sections of the city reaching the unhealthy red threshold, as it has done on occasion in recent months.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, the city had been plagued by PM2.5 air pollution. At its worst, excessive levels of air pollution prevented youngsters from attending school, while vulnerable populations were urged to stay home.

Power generation from coal, manufacturing, refining, and mining sectors, automobile emissions, and garbage burning all contribute to Thailand’s poor air quality. There are also seasonal changes, that contribute significant levels of air pollution during the dry season which usually runs from January to April.

The Thailand government has already put in place several measures and apart from these, the top policy makers would also try to facilitate the adoption of green technology in the mining and construction sector, to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission.

In the upcoming period, the taskforce would be encouraging greater collaborations between the public and private sector and also allocating funds to government-led electric vehicle (EV) projects. This policy move was to encourage the private sector to invest more into the green technology domain.

For a start, the Thailand government in partnership with its private sector, would be piloting the use of four EV mining trucks to deliver limestone for construction and cement manufacturing. The top policy makers hoped that the push for EV, could help the country to reduce CO2 emission by around 1,000 tonnes per year.

This move was part of the Thailand government’s earlier commitment to achieve COP 26’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. More policies would be established to facilitate the adoption of green technology and attract investments and entrepreneurs to the sector.

The Thailand government has committed to improve its sustainability standards through ESG principals and aimed to ignite the movement by fostering Green Construction through EVs, Net Zero, Green and Lean principals and greater transparency.