The Royal Thai Government has established a Department of Climate Change and the Environment (CCE) within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate national efforts to tackle the problem.

The United Nations has said that Thailand is already one of the nations most affected by climate change. But the impact on the Kingdom reverberates beyond its borders. As the only net food exporter in Asia, rising temperatures and changing conditions could affect Thailand’s agricultural output, putting people in other countries at risk of food insecurity.

“The establishment of the CCE, along with the introduction of several other upcoming climate-related regulations and initiatives, emphasizes Thailand’s serious commitment to achieving its carbon neutrality goal by 2050 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2065,” wrote the Global Compliance News website.

After decades of rapid industrialization, Thailand is coming to terms with the cost to its environment. In recent years, Thai governments and policymakers have been devoting funds, investing in research, passing legislation and launching diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing pollution, protecting the environment and fighting climate change.

Among the accomplishments have been forging a regional agreement among Southeast Asian nations on preventing and cleaning up marine plastic pollution.

Nonetheless, from a global perspective, the situation regarding climate change is becoming more urgent. Speaking at the Thailand Sustainability Expo 2023 last week in Bangkok, Sumet Tantivejkul, Secretary-General of the Chaipattana Foundation, said what the world needed at this point was a set of actions, rather than more talking. “People should realize that no matter how hard they try, they will never be able to defeat Mother Nature,” Sumet said.

The Chaipattana Foundation oversees over 4,000 Royal Development Projects, most of which were conceived and launched by His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great who passed away in 2016. Aimed at improving the lives of the poor, the projects emphasize sufficiency and sustainability through living in harmony with nature.