Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt is pushing ahead with urban environmental development by teaming up with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) to promote eco-friendly factories, clean water and working to increase green areas in the capital.
Mr Chadchart and Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the FTI, also agreed to choose Klong Toey district for a pilot project on "smart agriculture industry" to help residents in the area earn more income.
The cooperation marks the start of joint efforts by FTI and City Hall to improve the environment and economy in Bangkok.
"The FTI aims to reduce carbon emissions in the city to help the government achieve carbon neutrality," said Mr Kriengkrai, referring to state efforts to strike a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and absorption by 2050.
He was speaking after a meeting with Mr Chadchart yesterday to discuss state-private cooperation projects.
Mr Kriengkrai said the federation will encourage around 5,000 factories in Bangkok to improve their manufacturing processes to reduce pollution, which should help them avoid conflicts with nearby communities.
A move towards environmentally friendly production is in line with the bio-, circular and green economic model the government is promoting, which urges manufacturers to adopt techniques that can add value to products and have no or minimal impact on the environment.
Mr Kriengkrai and Mr Chadchart want a better environment in the city because it can help draw more tourists.
"Tourism will boost the economy of Bangkok and create more value for related industries such as jewellery," said Mr Chadchart.
The Water and Environment Institute for Sustainability, a unit of the FTI, plans to support the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in developing and cleaning the Chao Phraya River and a network of 1,126 canals.
"The Hua Lamphong canal will be the first for the FTI and BMA plan to jointly clean and improve its scenery," said Mr Kriengkrai.
They will work on a one-kilometre section of the canal, which is expected to pave the way for more projects to make Bangkok the "Venice of the East" again, he said.
