Assessment to Determine Urgent Plan Priorities Project to Reduce Greenhouse Gases in Phayao Province

Abstract

This study aimed to assess provincial-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Phayao Province. The 2019 GHG inventory was conducted at two reporting levels: Basic and Basic+. At the Basic level, total emissions were approximately 667,981 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) or about 1.41 tCO₂e per capita. At the more comprehensive Basic+ level, which involves more detailed and extensive data collection, total emissions reached 5,093,153 tCO₂e, equivalent to approximately 10.78 tCO₂e per capita, calculated based on the registered population of 472,356 in 2019 (Department of Provincial Administration, 2019). The main source of emissions in Phayao Province was the Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, accounting for 86.82% of total emissions, followed by the waste management, energy, and transportation sectors, while no emissions from the industrial processes sector were reported in that year.

As most provincial GHG emissions were generated from land use and agricultural activities, Phayao Province developed a GHG reduction plan comprising 26 measures covering the energy, transportation, agriculture, and forestry sectors, with a target to reduce emissions by 422,380 tCO₂e by 2030. The implementation framework is divided into three phases: short-term measures focusing on low-cost and immediately actionable actions, such as replacing public lighting with LED bulbs and promoting energy conservation campaigns; medium-term measures emphasizing infrastructure investment and development, including solar rooftop installations, improved waste and wastewater management systems, and expansion of green areas; and long-term measures aiming at structural transformation, such as the development of clean energy public transportation systems and full-scale renewable energy utilization. The plan places particular emphasis on the agricultural sector by promoting safe and low-carbon agriculture under the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy model through reducing chemical use, strengthening farmers’ capacity, applying innovation and appropriate technologies, and establishing local cooperation networks, together with continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure effective and tangible outcomes.