Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development
Environmental and climate groups launched a new documentary exposing the destructive cost of fossil fuel development in Thailand. It focuses on Rayong province, home to the country’s largest industrial hub, where over 150 factories, including coal-fired power plants and petrochemical facilities, are concentrated.
A webinar organized by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) and Greenpeace Thailand, both members of the Southeast Asia Working Group on Fossil Gas and Just Energy Transition, showcased the documentary for the first time. The event featured insights from key experts, human rights advocates, and the communities of Rayong, discussing the increasing dependence on fossil fuels and the growing movement for a just energy transition.
“This documentary highlights the human and environmental costs of fossil fuel development. Rayong is a cautionary tale for Southeast Asia: reliance on fossil fuels threatens to lock the region into a dirty energy future, putting communities and ecosystems at risk. As the climate worsens, we must rapidly transition away from fossil fuels,” said Gerry Arances, Executive Director of CEED, and co-convener of the Southeast Asia Working Group on Fossil Gas and Just Energy Transition.
A report by CEED found that Southeast Asia’s largest gas development is in Thailand, which has a total capacity of 15.9 GW and has added 2.2 GW since September 2023.
“For over three decades, the people of Rayong have suffered from severe air and water pollution, oil spills, and hazardous waste dumping as a result of unchecked fossil fuel growth. Local communities, particularly fisherfolk and farmers, have seen their health deteriorate, their livelihoods destroyed, and their life threatened,” said Chariya Senpong, Energy Transition Campaign Team Leader of Greenpeace Thailand.
Rayong province, on the eastern bank of the Gulf of Thailand, is considered Thailand’s most toxic hotspot because of water pollution, industrial mishaps, and unlawful hazardous waste disposal. Since the industrial estate opened, Rayong experienced 2 major oil spills in 2013, and 2022. These spills, releasing 50,000 liters and 47,000 liters of oil, respectively, have had significant negative impacts on local tourism and fisheries.
“In Rayong, we have a three-sector economy: agriculture, tourism, and the industries. But when industries come in, it turns out that a one-side industrial economy ends up destroying the other two sectors completely,” said Phwat Kanchanawong, a local resident in Rayong.
“It’s time that we end fossil fuel dependence and focus on renewable resources both for Thailand and Southeast Asia, and realign our focus on achieving the 1.5°C target outlined in the Paris Agreement,” added Senpong.
This documentary is part of the Southeast Asia Working Group on Fossil Gas and Just Energy Transition’s broader effort to amplify the true cost of fossil fuel development and accelerate the transition to renewable energy in Southeast Asia.
Watch the documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9tNEH4lZYQ
