SUSTAINABILITY IN EEC
SUSTAINABILITY IN EEC The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project is Thailand’s flagship project aiming to transform the Thai economy by keeping pace with technological changes, embracing future technologies, and moving towards Industry 4.0. Meanwhile, transport and digital infrastructure are being upgraded in the three provinces of the Eastern Seaboard development project, namely Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Rayong, to boost investment and foster sustainable economic growth.
The concept of sustainable development has been adopted in EEC specifically for its mission of investment promotion. The Bio Circular Green (BCG) economy has been laid out as a main priority in Thailand’s development policy as well as a cornerstone for the EEC project. In light of Covid-19, three clusters emerge, encompassing EEC’s targeted industries, namely health and well-being, digital, and smart logistics, all of which leads to the development of the BCG economy in EEC. EEC recognizes the potential of BCG economy to create sustainable growth and fosters long-term economic competitiveness and green jobs. In addition, it is important to note that Industry 4.0 is a key enabler of the BCG economy, allowing new business models to be profitable while reducing environmental impacts. Ultimately, it is also the EEC’s effort and action to fulfill objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, Paris Agreement, and EU Green Deal that make an effort to achieve the environment challenges the global faces. To promote sustainability, Bio Circular Green economy approach will be implemented in EEC’s Smart Cities. Moreover, EEC aims to enhance productivity and the value for agricultural products by investing in Agri-tech. To increase productivity, EEC aims to support the use of biotechnology and digital technology in agricultural production to enhance the quality and standards of Thai agricultural products that will be used as a raw material for the bio-based industry. EEC is working with local and international partners to pro-
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mote research and development in EEC area. This will enhance the agricultural raw materials quality. Thai SMEs in agriculture, food, and biotechnology will benefit from the supporting eco-system that improves the value of their products. To promote Green and Circular economy, EEC has set a target to become Net Zero Carbon Emission area for industrial sector in the EEC area. To this end, the focus will be on reducing carbon emission from industrial sector and encouraging new investment in Green and Circular projects to improve energy efficiency, to enhance resource and waste management, and to develop ecosystem for sustainable and green business. On the investment front, EEC promotes the acceleration of green and circular economy approach in the targeted industries, such as advanced agriculture and biotechnology, digital, and next-generation automotive through widespread adoption of automation and digital technologies to scale up circular practices. Currently, EEC Office and Thailand GHG Management Organization (TGO) are working together to develop infrastructure for Green and Circular practices in EEC through the establishment of emissions trading system. In addition, there is a plan to develop the Ban Chang district in Rayong province to be a pilot EV City to mitigate emissions from the transportation sector by addressing barriers to the adoption and scale-up of e-mobility.
