The Role of Clean Energy and Clean Transportation in Mitigating Climate Change: A Case Study of BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research paper examines the vital role of clean energy in mitigating climate change, with a focus on the BTS Skytrain system in Bangkok, Thailand. By analyzing this prominent clean transportation infrastructure, the study aims to identify both challenges and opportunities for integrating renewable energy sources into public transit networks. The objectives are to assess how the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) contributes to climate change mitigation and to evaluate the effects of clean energy and transportation policies in the city. The researcher conducted interviews with six participants: three BTS personnel and three government officials specializing in energy, climate, and transportation. Findings reveal that the BTS is Thailand’s first carbon-neutral rail service, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions through electric-powered operations. The BTS supports the government sustainability goals and promotes clean mobility, playing a crucial role in Thailand’s transition to carbon neutrality by 2050. Moreover, the study highlights that clean energy and transportation policies in Bangkok are essential for combating climate change by reducing emissions and enhancing energy efficiency. These policies facilitate the adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles, improving air quality and public health. Ultimately, Thailand’s initiatives align with global efforts, demonstrating significant progress toward achieving carbon neutrality and fostering sustainable urban development.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Acciona. (2019). Renewables as a source of energy and sustainable employment. Retrieved from https://www.activesustainability.com/renewable-energy/renewables-source-energy-sustainable-employment/
ASEAN Up. (2017). Infographic: top cities and urbanization in ASEAN. Retrieved from https://aseanup.com/infographic-top-cities-urbanization-asean/
Bardal, K. G., Gjertsen, A., & Reinar, M. B. (2020). Sustainable mobility: Policy design and implementation in three Norwegian cities. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 82, Article 102330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2020.102330
Boyle, G. (2020). Bangkok has world’s third worst air quality. Bangkok Post. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/1831894/bangkok-has-worlds-third-worst-air-quality
Braun, V., & Clarke, V., Newson, L. (2022). Thematic Analysis: A practical guide. QMiP Bulletin, 1(33), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsqmip.2022.1.33.46
BTS Group. (2021). TGO certifies BTS Group “carbon neutral”, the world’s first for a rail company. Retrieved from https://www.btsgroup.co.th/en/update/news-event/725/tgo-certifies-bts-group-carbon-neutral-the-worlds-first-for-a-rail- company
BTS Group. (2022a). BTS group strives towards sustainable operation, driving Thailand forward to net-zero emission by 2065. Retrieved from https://www.btsgroup.co.th/en/update/news-event/793/bts-group-strives-towards-sustainable-operation-driving-thailand-forward-to-net-zero-emission-by-2065
BTS Group. (2022b). BTS Group Holdings PCL sustainability report 2021/22. Retrieved from https://www.btsgroup.co.th/storage/download/sustainability/sr/sd-report202122-en.pdf
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications.
Energy Education. (2023). Intermittent electricity. Retrieved from https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Intermittent_electricity
Fallin, D. Lee, K., & Poling, G. B. (2023). Clean energy and decarbonization in Southeast Asia: overview, obstacles, and opportunities. Retrieved from https://www.csis.org/analysis/clean-energy-and-decarbonization-southeast-asia-overview-obstacles-and-opportunities
Fisher, C., & Preonas, L. (2010). Combining policies for renewable energy: Is the whole less than the sum of its parts?. International Review of Environmental and Resources Economics, 4(1), 10-19. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1569634
Glandorf, J. (2020). On the move: unpacking the challenges and opportunities of electric vehicles. Retrieved from https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/on-the- move-unpacking-the-challenges- and-opportunities-of-electric-vehicles
Gluckman, R. (2019). Bangkok: the sinking city faces severe climate challenges. Retrieved from https://www.preventionweb.net/news/bangkok-sinking-city-faces-severe-climate-challenges
Green Economy Tracker. (2023). Clean energy policy: how well are we doing?. Retrieved from https://greeneconomytracker.org/policies/clean-energy-policy
Hayward, R. (2022). The dark side of renewable energy. Retrieved from https://www.hechayward.com/the-dark-side-of-renewable-energy/
Heliox. (2022). The net zero transition in green transport - winners and losers - a Heliox study. Retrieved from https://www.heliox-energy.com/blog/the-net-zero-transition-in-green-transport-winners-and-losers-a-heliox-study
Huasfather, Z. (2019). Factcheck: How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change. Retrieved from https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-how-electric-vehicles-help-to-tackle-climate-change/
Iberdrola. (2023). Clean energy: What is clean energy, and is it the same as green energy and renewables?. Retrieved from https:// www.iberdrola.com/sustainability/clean-energy
International Energy Agency (IEA). (2023). Renewables. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/energy-system/renewables
International Renewable Energy Agency. (2017). Renewable energy benefits: understanding the socio-economics. Retrieved from https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/ Publication/2017/Nov/IRENA_Understanding_Socio_Economics_2017.pdf?la=en&hash=C430B7EF772BA0E631190A75F7243B992211F102
Jaiswal, K. K., Chowdhury, C. R., Yadav, D., Verma, R., Dutta, S., Jaiswal, K. S., & Karuppasamy, K. S. K. (2022). Renewable and sustainable clean energy development and impact on social, economic, and environmental health. Energy Nexus, 7, Article 100118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexus.2022.100118
Johnson, W. (2022). Electric vehicle misconceptions still run rampant, survey shows. Retrieved from https://www.teslarati.com/electric-vehicle-misconceptions-survey-2022/
Kaosa-ard, M., & Pednekar, S. S. (1996). Environmental strategy for Thailand. Retrieved from https://tdri.or.th/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/N47.pdf
Kramarz, T., Park, S., & Johnson, C. (2021). Governing the dark side of renewable energy: A typology of global displacements. Energy Research & Social Science, 74, Article 101902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101902
Lieven, T. (2015). Policy measures to promote electric mobility–A global perspective. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 82, 78-93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2015.09.008
Lu, Y., Khan, Z. A., Alvarez-Alvarado, M. S., Zhang, Y., Huang, Z., & Imran, M. (2020). A critical review of sustainable energy policies for the promotion of renewable energy sources. Sustainability, 12(12), Article 5078. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125078
Ministry of Energy. (2004). Renewable energy in Thailand: Ethanol and biodiesel. Retrieved from http://e-lib.dede.go.th/mm-data/Bib8435.pdf
Ministry of Energy. (2015a). Alternative energy development plan: AEDP2015. Retrieved from https://www.eppo.go.th/images/POLICY/ENG/AEDP2015ENG.pdf
Ministry of Energy. (2015b). Thailand power development plan 2015-2036 (PDP2015). Retrieved from https://www.eppo.go.th/images/POLICY/ENG/PDP2015_Eng.pdf
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand. (2022). The Prime Minister participated in the World Leaders Summit during the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/cop26-glasgow?page=5d5bd3cb15e39c306002a9ac&menu=5d5bd3cb15e39c306002a9ad
Ministry of Transport, Kingdom of Thailand. (2019). The 20 year strategy for the development of Thailand’s transportation and logistics system (2018-2037). Retrieved from https://web.dlt.go.th/dlt-direction/media/attachments/2565/07/08/.-20-_-..62.pdf (in Thai)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2011). Special report on renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/2011/06/28/special-report-on-renewable-energy-sources-and-climate-change-mitigation-srren/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2023a). Sea level. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/sea-level/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2023b). 2022 tied for fifth warmest year on record. Retrieved from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150828/2022-tied-for-fifth-warmest-year-on-record
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2023c). The effects of climate change. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
National Ocean Service. (2023). What is ocean acidification?. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/acidification.html
Nunes, P., Pinheiro, F., & Brito, M. C. (2019). The effects of environmental transport policies on the environment, economy and employment in Portugal. Journal of Cleaner Production, 213, 428-439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.166
Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP). (2022). Thailand’s Fourth National Communication. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Thailand%20NC4_22122022.pdf
Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP). (2024). Thailand’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/NAP_THAILAND_2024.pdf
One Earth. (2023). The global transition to 100% renewable transportation. Retrieved from https://www.oneearth.org/renewable-transport/
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2013). Policy guidance for investment in clean energy infrastructure. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/policy-guidance-for-investment-in-clean-energy-infrastructure_9789264212664-en.html
Papathanasiou, D. (2022). Renewables are the key to green, secure, affordable energy. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/energy/renewables-are-key-green-secure-affordable-energy
Phakdeetham, J. (2022). Green public transport seen as key to tackling climate change. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2322022/green-public-transport-seen-as-key-to-tackling-climate-change
Ponce, P., & Khan, S. A. R. (2021). A causal link between renewable energy, energy efficiency, property rights, and CO2 emissions in developed countries: a road map for environmental sustainability. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(28), 37804-37817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12465-0
Ramungul, N., & Boontongkong, Y. (2017). Thailand’s 2017 UPOPs Inventory. Retrieved from https://www.pcd.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/pcdnew-2023-05-26_03-35-51_183116.pdf
Ribeiro, A. F. D. C. M. O. (2020). Electric cars impact in the economic growth and the CO2: case of European Union (Master’s thesis), The University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal. Retrieved from https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10400.5/21097/1/DM-AFCMOR-2020.pdf
Roberts, D. (2019). Getting to 100% renewables requires cheap energy storage. But how cheap?. Retrieved from https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/8/9/20767886/renewable-energy-storage-cost-electricity
Rodgers, E. (2023). Electric vehicle (EV) statistics: are electric cars the future?. Retrieved from https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/are-electric-vehicles-the-future-survey-reveals-more-than-half-of-the-country-says-no/
Santos, B. (2022). Thailand introduces FIT scheme for solar, storage. Retrieved from https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/10/31/thailand-introduces-fit-scheme-for-solar-storage/
Senin, S. N., Fahmy-Abdullah, M., & Masrom, M. A. (2021, April). The implementation of green transportation towards low carbon city. IOP conference series: Earth and environmental science, IOP Publishing, Hilton Chicago. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/736/1/012063
Shah, K. J., Pan, S. Y., Lee, I., Kim, H., You, Z., Zheng, J. M., & Chiang, P. C. (2021). Green transportation for sustainability: Review of current barriers, strategies, and innovative technologies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 326, Article 129392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129392
Suman, A. (2021). Role of renewable energy technologies in climate change adaptation and mitigation: A brief review from Nepal. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 151, Article 111524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111524
Teng, J., Li, L., Jiang, Y., & Shi, R. (2022). A review of clean energy exploitation for railway transportation systems and its enlightenment to China. Sustainability, 14(17), Article 10740. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710740
Thailand Board of Investment. (2017). Thailand EV Board Approves Tax Incentives for Electric Trucks and Buses Adoption, Cash Grants for Battery Cells Manufacturers, to Reinforce EV Hub Status. Retrieved from https://www.boi.go.th/un/boi_event_detail?module=news&topic_id=135055&language=en#:~:text=In%20regards%20to%20EV%2C%20Thailand,Thailand%20are%20EVs%20by%202030
Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). (2024). Braving hurdles for green transport. Retrieved from https://tdri.or.th/en/2024/01/braving-hurdles-for-green-transport/
Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO). (2021). Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Thailand%20NC4_22122022.pdf
The World Bank. (2022). What you need to know about food security and climate change. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/10/17/what-you-need-to-know-about-food-security-and-climate-change
Toh, L. (2021). Let’s come clean: The renewable energy transition will be expensive. Retrieved from https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/10/26/lets-come-clean-the-renewable-energy-transition-will-be-expensive/
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2013). Environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies. Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/ environmental-impacts-renewable- energy-technologies
United Nation Climate Change. (2022). Thailand's Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy (Revised version). Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/documents/622276
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2023a). Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Retrieved from https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/2023-07/SDG-Report-07-MD.pdf
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2023b). Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Retrieved from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13
United Nations. (2023a). Causes and effects of climate change. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change
United Nations. (2023b). What is climate change?. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change
United Nations. (2023c). Renewable energy - powering a safer future. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/raising-ambition/renewable-energy
United States Department of Energy. (2023). Transportation & Fuels Pillar. Retrieved from https://www.energy.gov/eere/sustainable-transportation
Verma, A. (2023). The role of renewable energy technologies in sustainable development. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/the-role-of-renewable-energy-technologies-in-sustainable-development/
Wang, S., Li, J., & Zhao, D. (2017). The impact of policy measures on consumer intention to adopt electric vehicles: Evidence from China. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 105, 14-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2017.08.013
White, T. (2021). Countering climate change with renewable energy technologies. Retrieved from https://fas.org/publication/countering-climate-change-with-renewable-energy-technologies/
World Economic Forum. (2020). Fostering effective transition: 2020 edition. Retrieved from https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Fostering_Effective_Energy_Transition_2020_Edition.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2024). The global risks report 2024 - 19th edition. Retrieved from https://www.zurich.com/knowledge/topics/global-risks/the-global-risks-report-2024
Zehner, O. (2012). Green Illusions: the dirty secret of clean energy and the future of environmentalism. Lincoln, NE: The University of Nebraska Press.
