Thailand Advances First-Ever Climate Change Bill to Parliament Amid Growing Extreme Weather Risks
Draft legislation introduces carbon pricing, emissions trading and adaptation funding as floods and storms batter the country
Thailand is poised to enact its first comprehensive climate law after the draft Climate Change Act (Thailand) was officially submitted to the Cabinet on November 25, 2025 — a step analysts see as a historic commitment to tackling greenhouse-gas emissions and strengthening the country’s resilience to worsening climate disasters.
The bill — spanning 205 sections — mandates a nationwide carbon-reporting regime for thousands of firms, establishes a national “Climate Fund” to support adaptation and mitigation efforts, and empowers the government to impose carbon taxes and launch a national emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The legislation aims to guide Thailand to carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2065.
Under the proposed framework, more than 4,000 companies in major sectors will be required to measure, report and verify their emissions.
Compliance will be linked to a pricing mechanism that penalises excessive emissions and incentivises investment in clean energy and green technology.
The Climate Fund is designed to subsidise climate-resilient infrastructure projects, support disaster-adaptation measures and help vulnerable communities cope with climate-related shocks.
Proponents say the law provides critical structure to Thailand’s long-term environmental ambitions and enables access to international climate finance, while offering businesses a clear regulatory environment to guide sustainable investment.
In light of recurring floods, coastal-erosion threats, rising sea levels and intensifying seasonal storms, government officials emphasise the bill’s dual purpose: curbing carbon emissions and strengthening national climate resilience.
Critics and civil-society advocates, while welcoming the initiative, point to potential weaknesses — including ambiguity over enforcement mechanisms, the risk that carbon-pricing provisions may burden smaller firms, and a lack of clarity regarding the Climate Fund’s governance.
Some urge that implementing regulations should be developed transparently to ensure robust emission cuts and social equity going forward.
With the draft law now pending Cabinet approval before being forwarded to Parliament, all eyes are on whether Thailand will formalise the legislation before the end of 2025. If passed, it would mark a major milestone for Southeast-Asia’s second-largest economy, anchoring national policy in long-term climate strategy rather than ad-hoc measures.
The bill — spanning 205 sections — mandates a nationwide carbon-reporting regime for thousands of firms, establishes a national “Climate Fund” to support adaptation and mitigation efforts, and empowers the government to impose carbon taxes and launch a national emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The legislation aims to guide Thailand to carbon neutrality by 2050 and net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2065.
Under the proposed framework, more than 4,000 companies in major sectors will be required to measure, report and verify their emissions.
Compliance will be linked to a pricing mechanism that penalises excessive emissions and incentivises investment in clean energy and green technology.
The Climate Fund is designed to subsidise climate-resilient infrastructure projects, support disaster-adaptation measures and help vulnerable communities cope with climate-related shocks.
Proponents say the law provides critical structure to Thailand’s long-term environmental ambitions and enables access to international climate finance, while offering businesses a clear regulatory environment to guide sustainable investment.
In light of recurring floods, coastal-erosion threats, rising sea levels and intensifying seasonal storms, government officials emphasise the bill’s dual purpose: curbing carbon emissions and strengthening national climate resilience.
Critics and civil-society advocates, while welcoming the initiative, point to potential weaknesses — including ambiguity over enforcement mechanisms, the risk that carbon-pricing provisions may burden smaller firms, and a lack of clarity regarding the Climate Fund’s governance.
Some urge that implementing regulations should be developed transparently to ensure robust emission cuts and social equity going forward.
With the draft law now pending Cabinet approval before being forwarded to Parliament, all eyes are on whether Thailand will formalise the legislation before the end of 2025. If passed, it would mark a major milestone for Southeast-Asia’s second-largest economy, anchoring national policy in long-term climate strategy rather than ad-hoc measures.
