Creating Financial Value from What We Are Now Burning

Southeast Asia is again breaking temperature records, with heatwaves that trigger heatstroke deaths and school closures. 

In Thailand, the heat is just one problem. We also face severe air pollution from PM2.5 particles, primarily emitted by the burning of forests and agricultural crops such as sugarcanes and rice fields—known contributors to climate warming. In 2023 alone, Thailand saw over 15 million tonnes of sugarcane burned, primarily due to an oversupply that could drive the prices down.

Until now, it doesn’t seem like we have a proper solution to these problems.

But what if we could transform this crisis into an opportunity?

In regions like Europe and the U.S., startups are pioneering ways to create financial value from agricultural waste. They are converting—or at least piloting—the transformation of what was once merely burned into valuable new materials, biofuels, and even sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Imagine the potential if these technologies were applied in regions like Southeast Asia, where agricultural waste is abundant due to market oversupply.

The contrast between regional approaches is stark. While Southeast Asian farmers burn excess crops to maintain market prices, Europe is proactively protecting against potential food scarcity. The EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) illustrates this cautious approach, aiming to ensure that lands currently dedicated to food production are not converted to produce biofuel crops.

Can we produce SAF in Southeast Asia?

Why not increase SAF production in Southeast Asia? Doing so could open up new revenue streams for low-income populations and the countries at large, while also significantly reducing carbon emissions. If initiating SAF production seems too ambitious, we could start with simpler biofuels.

These are just a few of many random thoughts...