(From left) Jindarat Ruangchotivit, Director of Develop the Potential of Personnel in the Field of Climate Change Section, Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), Thawatchai Saengkhamsuk, Project Manager of the Empower Project, GIZ Thailand; Pavich Kesavawong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE); Nareerat Panmanee, Director of Climate Change and Environmental Research Centre, Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE); Prof. Dr Pisut Painmanakul, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University and Director of the Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBIS)

9 December 2024 – Empowering Thailand’s Department of Climate Change and Environment (EMPOWER) project, implemented by GIZ Thailand, in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), hosted the opening ceremony of the Climate Change Mitigation and Planning (CCMP) course and conducted the first training session at Pullman Bangkok King Power hotel. The event was formally launched by Pavich Kesavawong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment; Thawatchai Saengkhamsuk, Project Manager of the Empower Project, GIZ Thailand; and Prof. Dr Pisut Painmanakul, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University, Director of the Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBIS) and Director of the CCMP course.

Pavich Kesavawong, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE) gave the opening remarks at the Climate Change Mitigation and Planning (CCMP) course

The Empower project is a capacity-building and training programme designed to develop knowledge on mitigation topics and related skills for staff at DCCE, whose mandate it is to implement, monitor and evaluate mitigation measures and other related policies in Thailand. The Empower project is funded by International Climate Initiative (IKI) under the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany (BMWK). The project has two operational phases. In phase 1, from August 2024 to September 2025, six training modules will be launched for DCCE staff, while in phase 2, training sessions are expected to take place from late 2025 to the end of 2026 for staff at both the DCCE and the Provincial Climate Change and Biodiversity Coordination Centre (PCCB).

Prof. Dr Pisut Painmanakul, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University, Director of the Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBIS) and Director of CCMP course, explained the course structure and its linkages to climate change management practices.

The CCMP course is the first training module in the Empower project and attracted 100 participants. The content of this module emphasises foundational knowledge of climate change, mitigation measures and other related issues. It prepares participants to fulfil DCCE’s responsibilities and acquire more technical knowledge in the subsequent modules.

Learning topics in the first session included:

1. Climate Science by Dr Natthawin Chawaloesphonsiya, Deputy Director of the Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBIS);
2. Technology Roadmap and Strategic Overview by Prof. Dr Supot Teachavorasinskun, Former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Chulalongkorn University and Chairman of the Board of Global Power Synergy Public Company Limited (GPSC) and Thai Oil Public Company Limited;
3. Global and Thailand’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets by Thawatchai Saengkhamsuk, Project Manager of the Empower Project, GIZ Thailand.

In addition, participants engaged in group discussions and exchanged views on Energy Transition, International Climate Commitment and Technology for Mitigation Measures, led by Prof. Dr Pisut Painmanakul, Director of the CCMP course.

The CCMP course consists of 11 training sessions, starting from December 2024 and running through February 2025. The goal of the course is to equip participants with knowledge that can be applied to DCCE’s work. The project will later launch a more advanced training programme, emphasising technical skills related to mitigation strategy. As a result, DCCE will be better prepared to act as a focal point of mitigation measures in Thailand and increase Thailand’s capacity to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target.