On December 6, 2023, the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) held an exchange platform of the High level Policy Dialogues under the Project of Smart Green ASEAN Cities, presented by Mr. Thalerngsak Petchsuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MONRE, Mr. Daniel HACHEZ Minister Counsellor, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Thailand., and Mr. David Jackson Director Local Transformative Finance UNCDF from UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) jointly opening event. Its objectives are to enhance a capacity of ASEAN cities with sharing their experiences, knowledge-base, and innovation of environmental city management, including to build up networking. It is a relevant force and mechanism for ASEAN region in growing quality and sustainability.
Mr. Thalerngsak Petchsuwan, Deputy Permanent Secretary of MONRE said that the MONRE has given importance to mission integration and collaboration networking with stakeholders to manage the sustainable natural resources and environment both in domestically and internationally, along with development of tools, mechanisms, and digital technology to increase administration efficiency. Moreover, Thailand has undertaken both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, implementing at sub-reginal, ASEAN reginal and global level about environmental cities, climate change, waste and chemical management, biodiversity, forest, water resources, coastal resources, environmental education, sustainable consumption and production, and driven to achieve in Sustainable Development Goal.
The DEQP was designated by ASEAN to serve as the National Focal Point of ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable City. Thailand aims to shift up the standard of environmental city management and carbon neutrality by 2050. By formulating potential management on environmentally sustainable city in local municipality with the concept of 1 province and 1 city, we will apply a principle of Bio–Circular Green Economy (BCG) to enhance the academic, digital technology, and to promote collaboration with relevant network agencies related to green lifestyle both domestically and internationally.
Mr. Somsak Sappakosonkul, the Director General of DEQP added that the project of Smart Green ASEAN Cities (SGAC) supports the implementation and achieving city on environmentally friendly sustainability in Southeast Asia by supporting ASEAN Member State at the city, national, and reginal. In addition to address issue of city environment and good governance related to climate change, focusing on smart working with amendment approach that are digitally and technologically enabled, we collaborate among cities in ASEAN region between cities in ASEAN and Europe, and sharing experience in Europe.
Finally, Mr. Somsak Sappakosonkul, the Director General of DEQP expected that this platform would encourage the capacity for ASEAN cities sharing experiences, knowledge, innovation in sustainable city management, building networking, a guide links to support from the financial and private sectors. This is a power and relevant mechanism to support ASEAN’s growth with quality and sustainability, to achieve goal for more quality life of people, as well as, a best practice for Smart Green ASEAN Cities in development, to reduce the impact of environment, and city has ability to adapt on climate change for result expansion in the future. He added that a sharing platform of the High Level Policy Dialogues under the Project of Smart Green ASEAN Cities held by the DEQP, hybrid Video Conference at the Athenee Hotel in Bangkok with 50 participants approximately, that consisted of representatives of National Focal Point under ASEAN Working Grope of Environmental Sustainable City from 8 ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Secretariat, partners, educational and research institution.
