An assessment of the relationship of the private sector to the national implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity : a case study of Thailand

Abstract

As a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Thailand has to comply at the national level of the Convention as well as the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties (COP). However, private sector engagement with the Convention is vitally important for proper implementation, as described in COP 8 Decision VIII/17. Limjirakan et al. (2009) has indicated that stakeholders involved in national implementation of the CBD have experienced low levels of interaction with the private sector. Literature review and interviews were conducted to understand the context of private sector engagement in environmental management and the projects of private sector entities such as PTT Public Company Limited and the Charoen Pokphand Group, two of Thailand’s largest corporations, are summarized and linked to relevant CBD Articles and COP decisions. In addition, an on-line survey using questionnaire was undertaken to understand the sentiment of the private sector in Thailand towards CSR, the CBD, and public-private partnerships. Findings demonstrate that the private sector in Thailand is interested in supporting actions and programmes related to biological diversity and in partnering with the Thai government on environmental management projects. Partnerships could be enhanced by focusing on the areas of work where businesses want to contribute, such as capacity building and advisory services. Numerous businesses are already implementing relevant projects in the areas of reforestation, environmental finance and environmental impact assessment. Since most businesses lack knowledge of the CBD, the CBD national focal point of Thailand, namely the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy & Planning, should reach out more to establish linkages with the business community. Additional research is recommended to understand how private sector businesses prefer to be engaged by other stakeholders like government.