At COP29, in Baku, the Thai Cement Manufacturers Association (TCMA), in collaboration with Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), and UNIDO, presented lessons learned from the innovation ecosystem within the 'Saraburi Sandbox.'
Highlighting its one-year progress, TCMA conducted the seminar 'Saraburi Sandbox: Leading Thailand's Pathway to a Low-Carbon City' at the Thailand Pavilion and the GCCA Pavilion, demonstrating its pivotal role in transitioning Thailand's industrial sector to a competitive and sustainable low-carbon economy.
Over the past year, the 'Saraburi Sandbox' has achieved significant milestones through a Public-Private-People Partnership (PPP) thanks to the cooperation between TCMA and Saraburi province led by the Governor of Saraburi, and domestic and international agencies. Some key successes include:
• over 80 per cent of construction projects in Saraburi now using hydraulic cement
• the cement industry increasing its use of alternative fuels and renewable energy to 26 per cent
• a pilot project for cultivating energy crops, such as Napier grass, as alternative fuels for the cement industry
• the installation of a solar carport with a renewable energy system at Saraburi City Hall
• community waste management initiatives led by local administrative organisations
•community forest projects to expand green areas across 38 locations.
The project has also attracted international collaboration. Princeton University has studied the province's renewable energy potential to inform future implementation plans while GCCA facilitates global knowledge sharing and policy alignment to drive more projects in different aspects. These efforts are integral to implementing the Thailand 2050 Net Zero Cement and Concrete Roadmap and securing green funding for action-oriented projects.
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