GHG mitigation in Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector in Thailand

Abstract

Background: The Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for almost a quarter of the global Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The emissions associated with AFOLU activities are projected to increase in the future. The agriculture sector in Thailand accounted for 21.9% of the country's net GHG emissions in 2013. This study aims to estimate the GHG emissions in the AFOLU sector and mitigation potential at various carbon prices during 2015-2050. This study uses an AFOLU bottom-up (AFOLUB) model to estimate GHG emissions in a businessas-usual (BAU) scenario, and then identifies no-regret options, i.e. countermeasures that are cost-effective without any additional costs. In addition, the study also identifies countermeasure options and mitigation potential at various carbon prices.Results: Results show that emissions from the agriculture sector in the BAU will increase from 45.3 MtCO 2 eq in 2015 to 63.6 MtCO 2 eq in 2050, whereas net emission from the AFOLU will be 8.3 MtCO 2 eq in 2015 and 24.6 MtCO 2 eq in 2050. No-regret options would reduce emissions by 6.1 and 6.8 MtCO 2 eq in 2030 and 2050, respectively. The carbon price above $10 per tCO 2 eq will not be effective to achieve significant additional mitigation/sequestration. Conclusions:In 2050, no-regret options could reduce total AFOLU emissions by 27.5%. Increasing carbon price above $10/tCO 2 eq does not increase the mitigation potential significantly. Net sequestration (i.e., higher carbon sequestration than GHG emissions) in AFOLU sector would be possible with the carbon price. In 2050, net sequestration would be 1.2 MtCO 2 eq at carbon price of $5 per tCO 2 eq, 21.4 at $10 per tCO 2 eq and 26.8MtCO 2 eq at $500 per tCO 2 eq.

Climate Change Mitigation: Policies and Lessons for Asia

“…The AFOLU sector has a large potential to mitigate GHG emissions and to sequester carbon in soils. To realize these potentials, we need to adopt improved technology in the farming system (Malla et al 2005;Kahrl et al 2010;Hasegawa and Matsuoka 2015;Pradhan, Chaichaloempreecha, and Limmeechokchai 2019); better management of inputs such as water, energy, and fertilizer (Zhang et al 2013); improved irrigation methods (Wang et al 2012); better livestock management (Mottet et al 2017;Enahoro et al 2019); and better institutional arrangements ). In the agriculture sector, livestock manure and enteric fermentation represent about 32% of emissions, and rice cultivation produces 8% of global anthropogenic emissions (UNEP 2021b).…”

“…More importantly, the global food demand scenarios show a strong increase in animalbased products, primarily in developing countries (Bodirsky et al 2015). Accordingly, there is a need to assess multiple factors, including demand, supply, and other institutional factors, while transforming the AFOLU sector into a low-emissions development pathway (Sutton, Erisman, and Oenama 2007;Smith et al 2013;Pradhan et al 2017;Pradhan, Chaichaloempreecha, and Limmeechokchai 2019;Zeng et al 2020).…”

Contribution of Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use to Climatic Phenomena Through GHG Emissions in Burundi. Empirical Evidence From the ARDL Approach

“…Taking agricultural practices in the greenhouse gas balance faces uncertainty sources. Pradhan and Limmeechokchai [27] reported that the GHG emission from Thailand agricultural sector in 2015 was estimated to be 45. These agricultural GHGs emissions originate from soil management, enteric fermentation, energy use, and manure management [28].…”

Contribution of Agriculture to Climate Change and Low-Emission Agricultural Development in Asia and the Pacific

“…More importantly, the global food demand scenarios show a strong increase in animal-based products, primarily in developing countries (Bodirsky et al 2015). Accordingly, there is a need to assess multiple factors, including demand, supply, and other institutional factors, while transforming the AFOLU sector into a low-emissions development pathway (Sutton, Erisman, and Oenama 2007;Smith et al 2013;Pradhan et al 2017Pradhan et al , 2019Zeng et al 2020).…”