Resident Coordinator's remarks at the 3rd Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership Joint Forum

Having grown up in Delhi where the city is usually covered in smog from biomass burning over the winter months, I understand its impact and also the imperatives of farmers who engage in these practices.

Earlier this year, I visited the central provinces in Thailand during the harvest season, where rice is the main crop for many small farm holders. Despite the ban, I saw many fields that had been burned overnight. I also saw fields that were flooded with water to decompose the leftover biomass.

In my meeting with farmers, they expressed their frustration at the lack of financial resources to adopt alternative technology to prepare their plots in time for the next season.

Having said this, biomass burning is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions in Thailand, in addition to industrial and traffic emissions. This makes it imperative for all of us – including governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society – to work towards finding sustainable, market-oriented and evidence-driven solutions that are tailored to match the needs of both small and large-scale farmers without burdening them with additional costs.

We know that Thailand has a per capita CO2 emission rate of 4 tons. I believe this is our opportunity to showcase the power to transform into a green economy and bend the CO2 curve to build forward sustainably. Today’s discussions can contribute to that direction.

Let me briefly talk about the support the UN can provide in this regard. As you know, the UN brings together a host of technical agencies with work ranging from development and human rights to peace and security. It is this breadth of skill sets that allows the UN to provide integrated and comprehensive policy advice on complex issues such as biomass burning, while addressing all of the related social, economic, environmental, and transboundary dimensions. In many ways, this is our unique strength.

More specifically, our focus in terms of biomass burning is on 5 key areas:

• First, the UN invests in harnessing science to generate the evidence base and offer science-based solutions.Through the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, or ESCAP, we access satellite imagery to understand the pattern of biomass burning in Thailand and the region. We also analyze the crops that are contributing to air pollution using chemical fingerprinting of smoke.

Data and services from the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) will enable us to monitor air quality from space along with local air quality and atmospheric conditions on the ground to support near real-time air pollution monitoring. With such in-depth analysis, we are able to track crop burning and also locate exact geographic positions while mapping weather patterns to predict the movement of smoke across the region.

• Second, the UN invests in building technical capacities across countries to analyze, access, and create data banks to support policymakers. For example in Thailand, we are increasing the number of air quality monitoring stations and providing technical support to build the capacity of officials to access and utilize satellite and atmospheric data and applications for air pollution monitoring and management.
  
   
• Third, the UN also leverages science to offer climate-smart farming practices and technologies led by FAO, UNDP and UNEP based on good practices from across the globe. We know that deep ploughing is one solution for leftover rice stalks that then decompose into soil nutrients. We also know that using cost-effective decomposers can break down material within a couple of weeks. Using agricultural biomass for mulching is another sustainable practice.

It is important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all sustainable farming practice, as solutions need to be tailored to suit farmland, crop, region, and local circumstances.  For example, with limited water supply in northeastern Thailand, solutions will need to look different compared to the central region.

In every case, there are emerging good practices that can be shared between countries.

• Fourth, the UN leverages it convening power to co-creates platforms for dialogue with the private sector to scale up market-led solutions. As I mentioned earlier, solutions will require cooperation from all sectors.

We recognize that the private sector comes with a deep understanding of the financial incentives and the ability to scale up market-driven solutions. The UN is in dialogue with the largest rice, sugarcane and maize producers through the Global Compact Network Thailand to create the right incentives for farmers to move away from burning, organize small farm holders to share resources using harvesters and other machinery, and leverage technology in support of biomass electricity and biofuels.

• And fifth, the UN also invests in creating standards and norms for sustainable farming as transformative tools to mobilize farmers to enable global progress on the SDGs. The Sustainable Rice Platform is one such example with a verified label. Supported by UNEP, and with members from across the world, the platform links stakeholders from research and production to trade and consumption. It also benefits farmers through reduced input costs, more secure markets, and improved livelihoods. This is a good example how collaboration across sectors can support small farm holders and lead to environmental sustainability.

I believe that farms are complete and productive systems – nothing generated is waste if we use resources wisely based on science-bases solutions and sustainability. What is required is a change in approach, including policymakers as well as farmers, to realize this smarter productivity.

Let me now address the crucial issue of financing.

As the UN, we invest in South-South Triangular Cooperation to work alongside governments in Asia-Pacific and Member States from developed countries to harness science through satellite imagery, space-derived data, chemical fingerprinting of smoke, and the transfer of technology to generate the evidence base and build specialized capacities in country. For example through ESCAP, the UN is working with the Republic of Korea share air pollution data with countries throughout Southeast Asia, and provide training on data processing. This is a source of technical assistance for governments and academia that is very specialized and long term in nature.

The UN also relies on project-based funding for investing in pilot projects in collaboration with government and civil society to support climate-smart sustainable farming practices, typically led by FAO, UNDP and UNEP. These pilot projects need to be mainstreamed for governments and the private sector to take them to scale.

The UN through UNEP also works in close partnership with bankers and investors to support the adoption of sustainability principles, standards, and norms for banking and investment. This ensures that lending and investment prioritize green projects and technologies that support reducing CO2 emissions. For example in Thailand, 22% of the baking industry with a total investment of over $200 billion has signed up to these principles, which we hope to double over the coming years.

And, finally, in Thailand the UN works in close partnership with the private sector and through the Global Compact Network to establish firm commitments in support of the SDGs and climate change measures. Last year, the private sector committed to investing over $40 billion, and this year we believe the private sector will come forward with ambitious targets for reducing CO2 emissions across business, which will go a long way to scaling up sustainable and market-oriented solutions for issues such as biomass burning.

To sum up, UN’s strategy for financing is to secure technical assistance, invest in pilot projects, and unlock sustainable financing from government, the private sector, banks, and investors to address urgent climate-related action. These collective efforts are good for business, good for investors and absolutely essential for the long-term properity of the country.