ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the concept of sustainability in government and addresses how the imprecision in the term's use undermines its benefit to society in policy terms, through exploration of the case of Thailand's energy policy and sustainable development, and how arguments for such efforts have been constructed and deployed in the Thai case. The research question is: What can we learn about Thailand's commitment to sustainable development through public and private statements on economic and energy development projects? This chapter takes up the question by comparing official state direction on development, and statements on sustainable development of the state-run energy authority and a major private-sector energy company, with an analytical approach informed by persuasion and argumentation. Computer aided techniques for process analysis and control (CATPAC)/Galileo software assisted the process of analysis. Signaling and symbolism in energy policy are present, and there is clear division between public and private interests, and attention to sustainability compared with interest in general development outcomes.
