Canada and UNIDO join forces to decarbonise Thailand cement sector

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is joining forces with the Canadian government to help decarbonise Thailand’s cement and concrete sector. A combination of technical assistance and investment support will be given to Thailand to help develop decarbonisation-centric policies, a regulatory framework, and a country-driven national and industrial net-zero roadmap.

In addition, the project will support effective monitoring, as well as review and verification systems for the cement and concrete sectors, and provide guidance on the development of green public procurement targets and standards for low-carbon cement and concrete. 

The collaboration includes funding of CAD8m (US$5.8m) from the Canadian government to support projects and research both in Thailand and other south Asian countries to help accelerate decarbonisation of the cement sector. According to UNIDO, over the next three years, grant support will be given for pilot demonstrations to deploy and commercialise low-carbon technological solutions in the cement and concrete sectors, with a focus on local, home-grown solutions that have a strong greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential.

The project will also support capacity building and pilots that can be co-financed or scaled up through private finance, along with training to develop expertise and industrial skills, which can then be shared with other countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. 

Commenting on the collaboration, Gerd Müller, director general of UNIDO, said, “UNIDO is committed to supporting developing countries in sustainable economic and industrial development. In working towards this goal, we greatly appreciate and welcome the support from the Government of Canada to help decarbonize industries in Thailand. This unique cooperation between UNIDO, the Government of Canada and the Government of Thailand will contribute to much needed climate change mitigation and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”