On October 14, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, assigned Ms. Raweewan Bhuridej, Ph. D., Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, to welcome Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team, and his delegation. The meeting, held in the conference room on the 17th floor of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, provided a platform for discussions on cooperation on climate change, as well as initiatives introduced by the United Nations Secretary-General to accelerate global climate action.

During the meeting, the Permanent Secretary reaffirmed Thailand's commitment to strengthening its climate action, highlighting the country's decision to bring forward its net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target from 2065 to 2050. Thailand is also advancing its NDC 3.0 to accelerate emission reductions across the energy, transport, industrial, agricultural, and waste management sectors, while updating its Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) to align with the revised target.

Thailand also places considerable emphasis on ensuring a just transition by promoting clean energy, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency, alongside mitigation and adaptation measures in the industrial and agricultural sectors. These include alternate wetting and drying techniques in rice cultivation to reduce methane emissions. In addition, the country is drafting a Climate Change Act to establish a legal framework and support the systematic implementation of its climate policies.

Mr. Hart commended Thailand's leadership in strengthening climate action, describing the country's NDC 3.0 as a model of a comprehensive and highly ambitious nationally determined contribution. He also reaffirmed the United Nations' readiness to mobilize expertise from relevant agencies to support Thailand in translating its climate goals and plans into concrete action, building on existing initiatives while avoiding duplication of efforts.

Beyond national-level cooperation, both sides exchanged views on the Global Grids Accelerator, an initiative of the United Nations Secretary-General. Thailand has the potential to strengthen regional energy cooperation through the development of the ASEAN Power Grid and smart grids. The Permanent Secretary emphasized that Thailand's ASEAN chairmanship in 2028 would provide an important opportunity to advance regional cooperation on climate action and implementation of the ASEAN Roadmap on Methane. Thailand also prioritizes the development of Green Policies for Data Centers to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting the growth of the digital economy.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on climate change and exchanging knowledge and experience to support the implementation of Thailand’s climate initiatives and jointly advance sustainable, climate-friendly development.