Skip to main content
13 May 2026

Indonesia–Thailand Exchange Strengthens Green Economy Cooperation

The Indonesia-Thailand Policy Exchange Programme facilitated by PAGE through UNIDO from 28–30 April 2026 demonstrated how targeted South–South cooperation can accelerate practical green economy solutions.  

Emissions trading systems (ETS), biodiversity-based certification and finance, and green industrial symbiosis were the key areas of interest on which policymakers and technical experts from the two PAGE countries shared their approaches and experiences in a three-day exchange. 

An Indonesian delegation of 4 participants from the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) was welcomed in Bangkok, Thailand by 25 delegates from the Government of Thailand, including from the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office, SDG Move, Department of Climate Change and Environment, Department of Industrial Works, and SCGP/Siam Kraft Industry Co., Ltd. 

For both countries this widened the perspective on policy solutions and practices, common challenges and opportunities and future partnerships while also reinforcing PAGE’s role as a capable facilitator for peer learning and policy collaboration.

Strengthening Policy Readiness on Carbon Markets

Indonesia and Thailand are at different, but complementary stages of their carbon market development. Indonesia has already launched a mandatory Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for their power sector and operationalized its national carbon exchange platform, IDXCarbon. Thailand is preparing its first national ETS through currently being elaborated in its draft Climate Change Act. 

A session hosted by Thailand’s Department of Climate Change and Environment brought out practical lessons on ETS design, monitoring and verification (MRV) systems, institutional coordination, and revenue recycling mechanisms. 

The exchange gave participants direct insight into implementation challenges and policy trade-offs, particularly around developing credible MRV systems, clarifying institutional mandates across agencies, sequencing ETS implementation timelines, and designing revenue recycling approaches that support both decarbonization goals and industrial competitiveness. Discussions also highlighted the importance of balancing regulatory ambition with operational readiness, especially as Indonesia advances implementation and Thailand prepares its national framework under the draft Climate Change Act.  These discussions helped strengthen institutional readiness and enabled both countries to identify areas where early policy adjustments and stronger coordination could support the further development and refinement of their carbon market frameworks. 

Discussions on Carbon Markets

Linking Biodiversity, Trade, and Rural Livelihoods

A key area of interest was Thailand’s B MARK or Bioeconomy Promotion Mark certification system presented by the Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office. The certification is for products that use biological resources sustainably and support local communities. It links biodiversity protection with sustainable production, trade promotion, and community economic development.  

For Indonesian participants, the experience shared by Thailand provides a benchmark on how biodiversity certification can support nature-positive value chains, while also improving market access and rural livelihoods.  The exchange identified potential entry points for adapting similar approaches within Indonesia’s national green economy transition efforts led by BAPPENAS, particularly under low-carbon development, circular economy, and nature-positive economic planning frameworks supported through PAGE.

One example discussed was the potential exploration of biodiversity certification mechanisms inspired by Thailand’s B MARK model to support sustainable community-based products, strengthen biodiversity-linked value chains, and improve access to premium domestic and international markets. This included biodiversity-based products and services showcased through the B MARK system, such as herbal cosmetics, plant-based health supplements, chemical-free textiles, handicrafts, and nature-based tourism initiatives that link local livelihoods with sustainable market opportunities.

Industrial Symbiosis in Practice

The field visit to SIAM KRAFT Industry Co. Ltd. and the surrounding Wangsala community provided participants with direct exposure to industrial symbiosis in practice. They got insights into company’s waste-to-value operations, resource efficiency systems, and how industrial activities help improve the local economy through circularity practices, local economic opportunities, and efforts to reduce environmental impacts on nearby areas. The visit illustrated how circular economy models can support both industrial efficiency and community-level benefits, including improved resource management and stronger local engagement. 

Thailand’s experience with eco-industrial development that shows how circular economy principles can generate environmental, economic, and community benefits simultaneously offers practical lessons for Indonesia’s industrial decarbonization, particularly on how industrial parks can integrate resource-efficiency measures, waste-to-value operations, and resource-exchange systems while strengthening linkages with surrounding communities. 

As one participant noted, “Seeing the industrial symbiosis in practice helped us better understand how to link policy with real sector applications.” 

Another participant said, "The exchange provided very practical insights, especially on how policy instruments are implemented beyond theory."

Building Long-Term Regional Collaboration

Beyond technical learning, the exchange created a foundation for continued cooperation between participating agencies, with several opportunities already identified:

Indonesia exploring a biodiversity certification mechanism inspired by Thailand’s B MARK model; 

  • Inputs into Indonesia’s ongoing ETS refinement and carbon market development; 
  • Continued collaboration on industrial symbiosis and biodiversity finance; 
  • Potential joint pilot activities to advance resource efficiency, circular economy practices, and biodiversity-related initiatives through knowledge-sharing and practical implementation within industrial areas and participating industries. 

 

Beyond Indonesia and Thailand, the exchange demonstrated how practical policy experiences from one ASEAN country can inform and inspire approaches in others facing similar challenges around industrial decarbonization, carbon markets, biodiversity protection, and circular economy transitions. The discussions also highlighted the potential for successful models, such as biodiversity certification systems and eco-industrial park approaches, to be adapted, replicated, or scaled across the wider ASEAN region through future South–South cooperation and technical partnerships.  

PAGE provides a shared framework that easily connects countries that can benefit from each other’s experience on climate policy, biodiversity strategies, and industrial transformation, helping governments to find policy solutions and further building regional momentum toward low-carbon, resource-efficient, and inclusive economic development. 

Funding partners

  • AR 2025 EU Logo
  • Germany BMUV logo
  • Korea
Share Indonesia–Thailand Exchange Strengthens Green Economy Cooperation
Scroll to top