Tough test for carbon tax
STRASBOURG, FRANCE, 19 April 2013: Controversial plans to revive the EU’s faltering carbon cap-and-trade system so as to cut greenhouse gas emissions face a tough test in the European Parliament this week.
EU officials say they expect a “very close” vote after the European People’s Party, the largest group in the parliament, said it would oppose a bid to make investment in clean technology financially more attractive by freezing some EU pollution credits.
At stake is the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) for carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas widely blamed for global warming which the ETS was supposed to help reduce by some 21% between 2005 and 2020.
TCEB checks carbon footprints
April 5, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Events, MICE, News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 5 April 2013: Carbon footprints have the attention of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau as it embarks on a campaign to encourage events-related companies to pursue environmentally friendly business models.
TCEB board member and acting president, Thongchai Sridama, said the scheme is principally gunning for Thai MICE operators to prepare them for “a low-carbon society,” which would in turn strengthen the competitiveness of the Thai exhibition industry.
Industries that have used a great volume of energy have been blamed for the proliferation of greenhouse gas, believed to be the root of global warming. But governments are also to blame for condoning practices that compromise the environment and for not seeking alternative forms of energy.
Carbon deficit widens
WASHINGTON, 28 August, 2012: A surge in carbon emissions from power demand in the developing world is overwhelming progress by nations including China and the United States in improving efficiency, new research shows.
Seeking to cut costs, numerous nations in recent years have scaled back or revamped the dirtiest plants that use coal, which among major forms of energy is the highest emitter of carbon blamed for the planet’s rising temperatures.
But a database set up by the Centre for Global Development, a Washington think tank, found that the greater efficiency was far offset by emissions from electricity, which grew by 13.6% globally from 2004 to 2009.
Going green in tourism
August 24, 2012 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Government, News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 24 August 2012: A forum on green economy and low carbon life will be hosted by the government agency Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administrative (DASTA) 29 August at Bangkok’s newest Sofitel Hotel located on Sukhumvit Road Soi 15.
The forum is a joint effort between DASTA and Earthcheck with support from the PATA Thailand Chapter, International Labour Organisation and Young SKAL.
Around 50 participants are expected to attend.
Sustainability is the buzz word
August 10, 2012 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Hospitality, News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 10 August 2012: Thailand’s events business needs to embrace sustainable management practices to tap the latest trends in the industry.
Speaking at an events seminar on sustainability, Wednesday, MCI Group sustainability director Guy Bigwood, said events players needed to change the way they do business and move away from a profit only mentality to consider environmental-friendly business models.
“Sustainability is one of the defining issues of our time as we see from the global warming situation caused climate change in various areas of the world.
Check on hotels carbon footprint
June 11, 2012 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under Hospitality, News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 11 June 2012: Green Leaf Foundation will launch its latest version of a certification programme this October, which will include carbon emission reduction in the grading questionnaires.
A representative from the Green Leaf Foundation, who attended the Thailand Travel Mart Plus,last week, said carbon emission reduction was now a criteria for hotels seeking qualification in the programe.
The initiative involves cooperation between Green Leaf, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration and Germany’s Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Climate Visualised Tool, a carbon emission calculation programme.
Carbon foot troubles Singapore
SINGAPORE, 6 March 2012: Affluent Singapore had the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific in 2010, conservation group WWF said Monday.
The environmental advocacy group said Singapore’s 2010 per capita gross domestic product of more than US$40,000 — one of the highest in the region — fuelled exorbitant consumption habits.
But the group also fingered the corporate sector and in particular the construction industry for crowning the tiny city-state as the region’s top per capita carbon emitter. Read more
Low-carbon tourism comes to Chang Island
January 31, 2011 by Rapeepat Mantanarat
Filed under News, Thailand
BANGKOK, 31 January 2011—Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration says it will embark on a low-carbon tourism promotion for Chang Island and an environmental theme to be presented at ITB Berlin this March.
DASTA has three projects, January to September, that fit a low-carbon tourism concept including Virtualised Climate Tool, waste management courses and a carbon credit scheme.
DASTA sets environment as its top agenda this year, ahead of social or economic considerations. Last year, it focused on communities, laying a foundation to ensure local communities would benefit fairly from tourism and understand projects.
