Thai PM requests new climate document

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has instructed the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning to revise the national climate change plan following criticism of the plan. Mr. Abhisit would like to see all stakeholders, from both the public and private sectors, take part in a redrafting of the plan to tackle climate change, said Nirawan Pipitsombat, acting chief of Onep's climate change coordinator office.

Onep is in charge of drafting the 10-year plan to be used as a policy guide for parties working on issues such as adapting to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. About 700 people from 31 environmental networks submitted a petition to the government last month demanding that it rewrite the plan.

They said the plan failed to address many important topics such as the polluter pays principle, greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, action plans to cut the use of fossil fuel and the promotion of renewable energy.

The plan could not deal effectively with climate change without focusing on these issues. They also said the drafting process lacked public input.

Mr Abhisit told a meeting of the national committee on climate change policy planning yesterday that he agreed that the plan needed more input from stakeholders.

He also suggested that the topic of adapting to climate change should be included in the school curriculum to help children learn how to deal with the impact of climate change.

Onep would hold a public forum on Monday to hear from all sectors about the national climate change reduction plan, Ms. Nirawan said.