Connecting Minds for Low-Carbon Cities - Thailand

On January 22nd, the the Embassy of the Netherlands organized a half-day activity that encourages dialogues on collaboration towards low-carbon cities. “Connecting Minds for Low Carbon Cities” aimed to raise awareness, strengthen the networks on the topics related to sustainability, and reaffirm our commitment as a partner to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). These SDG's include reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Goal 7), building resilient infrastructure (Goal 9), making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable (Goal 11), and combating climate change (Goal 13):

• Raise awareness and exchange ideas on how to make cities more climate-neutral;
• Mapping existing initiatives in order to identify potential collaborative projects in 2024; 
• Strengthening and expanding the networks on the topics related to sustainability and livability of cities, which include but not limited to, sustainable urban planning, smart mobility ecosystem and climate resilience. 

Green spaces offer people a place to recover physically and mentally. There is plenty of evidence that shows that being surrounded by greenery has a positive effect on psychological issues such as depression and anxiety. At the same time, greenery is not just a pretty expense, but also a means to future-proof our cities. Green spaces are vital for climate resilience and they contribute to a better quality of life.

Greening a city is so much more than just planting trees and flowers, and often the functional qualities of greenery are overlooked. To unlock the full potential of green spaces and leverage urban adaptability and resiliency, we need to take an integrated approach and take local circumstances into account. Greening alone may also not be as efficient as greening in combination with sustainable and smart mobility.

Transportation, which plays a vital role in our daily lives, significantly contributes to climate change and environmental degradation. To live in healthier and happier cities, we must find ways to reduce emissions, promote energy-efficient transport, and create cleaner, more livable environments.
By working together, we can accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable and smart solutions to make our cities climate-neutral. We believe in the power of the quadruple helix approach, bringing together governments, companies, knowledge institutions, and citizens to drive innovation and co-create a low-carbon habitat. We aim to achieve zero CO2 emissions, create safe and healthy living environments by partnering with Thailand in promoting green cities and sustainable mobility.

Our embassy has organized this half-day activity to encourage dialogues on collaboration towards low-carbon cities. To embrace and foster changes, we brought together governments, research institutes and innovators, and private companies, as well as active citizens, to exchange knowledge and explore possible cooperation in order to scale-up solutions and speed up the transition to climate-neutrality.