As part of its commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation, The Rubber Authority of Thailand collaborated with LO-CARB’s subsidiary, Carbon Scout, to pioneer a new approach to carbon credit management in rubber plantations. The project, titled “Carbon Credit Management in Rubber Plantations,” aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and provide an additional income source for farmers through carbon credit trading. This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Agriculture’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) model and supports Thailand’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Challenge
In 2023, The Rubber Authority of Thailand partnered with Carbon Scout to launch the pilot project “Carbon Credit Management in Rubber Plantations” under the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER). The project focused on reducing emissions and enhancing carbon absorption in rubber plantations, allowing farmers to trade carbon credits and generate additional income while contributing to environmental conservation.
The initiative was designed to align with Thailand’s commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the BCG model, promoting sustainable practices in agriculture. Initially launched with 20,000 rai of rubber plantations in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the project has since expanded across several provinces, demonstrating a scalable model for carbon credit management that can be replicated and shared with farmers, cooperatives, businesses, and the public.
LO-CARB’s Solution
Carbon Scout, a subsidiary of LO-CARB specializing in carbon offsetting management, developed a comprehensive “Carbon Stock” solution to support The Rubber Authority of Thailand through every phase of the project:
- Rubber Plantation Management
- Consultation on Plantation Criteria: Provided guidance on criteria and regulations for farmers to join the project, covering all phases from enrollment to monitoring and verification.
- Project Expansion: After a pilot project in Nakhon Si Thammarat, We managed the development of the carbon credit management project across three provinces with a total operational area of 43,481.35 rai, involving 2,299 farmers:
- Chanthaburi Province: 10,010.83 rai
- Loei Province: 10,087.08 rai
- Surat Thani Province: 23,383.44 rai
- CARBONVOL, Carbon stock calculation system
- LiDAR Technology for Carbon Credit Registration: Implemented LiDAR technology for efficient and accurate carbon credit registration under Thailand’s T-VER. This technology enhanced the reliability and speed of carbon credit calculations compared to traditional methods, establishing a new standard in carbon credit management and reinforcing
LO-CARB’s leadership in sustainability solutions.
- Carbon Credit Monitoring and Verification
- GIS Technology for Monitoring: Used GIS technology to monitor large-scale carbon credit areas, detect hotspots, and prevent deforestation throughout the project.
- Verification Process: Conducted thorough validation of carbon credits for 43,481.35 rai area, ensuring compliance with the T-VER standards by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO).
Results Achieved
- Widespread Participation and Impact: Over 2,000 rubber farmers participated in the project, with an expected accumulation of more than 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over seven years.
- Economic and Environmental Co-Benefits: Provided farmers with an additional income stream from carbon credit trading while contributing to environmental conservation efforts.
- Improved Transparency and Empowerment: Enhanced the accuracy of carbon credit assessments and provided farmers with transparent, verifiable data, ensuring they fully benefit from the carbon credits generated by their rubber plantations.
- Support for Sustainable Development: Strengthened the Rubber Authority of Thailand’s role in promoting sustainable practices and development while providing economic benefits to local farmers.
Through this groundbreaking initiative, The Rubber Authority of Thailand and LO-CARB have set a precedent for carbon credit management in rubber plantations, contributing to the country’s climate goals and supporting farmers in adopting sustainable practices.