VATIS UPDATE Article

In a joint effort by Germany and the United Kingdom together with GIZ (a German company that specialises in international development) supporting climate-friendly and energy-efficient cooling technologies, Thailand’s refrigeration and air-conditioning industry is prepared for the next development phase. Under the project titled “Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action” (RAC NAMA), they provide support to Thailand’s effort to reach its energy-saving and climate-protection targets.

It supports the cooling industry’s aim of staying competitive and is expected to attract international climate finance to the country. “On the supply side, the RAC NAMA project aims to support Thailand in preparing for the next generation of refrigerants by cooperating with the responsible ministries and agencies in Thailand to define safety standards and building codes in line with international best practices. The project will also train servicing staff to prepare the sector for different safety challenges,” said Tim Mahler, at GIZ Thailand.

GIZ was contracted by the British-German NAMA Facility to implement the project with total funding of 14.7 million euros (Bt572.5 million). The project first aims to direct demand towards more energy-efficient products by demonstrating best practices of energy performance standards, labels and other incentive schemes. Second, the project aims to increase the demand for energy-efficient and climate-friendly technologies by setting up a financial incentive scheme that increases the attractiveness of such technologies in Thailand.