'Zero-carbon' app can transform Thai tourism, experts say
Thailand's goal of becoming a carbon-neutral tourism destination is getting closer to reality with the “zero-carbon” application released earlier this month, officials say.
The mobile app, which was developed by a team comprising public and private organisations, elevates sustainable tourism by enabling businesses, communities, and tourists to calculate their own carbon emissions, said Supavadee Botiyaraj, chair of the tourism and creative economy planning subcommittee of the National Science Technology and Innovation Policy Office.
It can be used in tourism and some industrial activities, leading Thailand towards high-quality tourism, Supavadee said, adding that clear guidelines have already been established for its use.
Pakomon Suparbpun, director of the Low Carbon Business Certification Bureau, said the app will make it easier to access and trade carbon credits.
Payments for carbon credits can be made via mobile phones and banks, resulting in increased income for credit sellers, especially community-based initiatives that garner a lot of interest. Thai tourism operators can calculate their greenhouse gas emissions for net zero services offered to tourists, which would be more attractive to foreign tourists.
The value of carbon credit prices depends on the quality of the credit. Efficiently produced carbon credits are cheaper than those from communities, which are scarcer and require advance bookings. At the same time, forest regions serve as carbon sinks, which are harder to find and cost more than community carbon credits. The price of tourism carbon credits will depend on the satisfaction of both buyers and sellers and can range from 50 to 200 baht per tonne of carbon dioxide
Awareness of sustainable development and combating climate change issues led to Thailand's participation in the United Nations' Conference of the Parties, the decision making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and its commitment to implement long-term strategies to address climate change. Thailand is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065.
Wasumon Nertkijchareon, president of the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association, explained that new tourism markets under the Bio-Circular-Green economic model in Phuket and Krabi route will be certified for tourists. This will be facilitated through the zero-carbon app, which makes the transformation from conventional to sustainable tourism possible, Wasumon said.
