Thai delegates join COP30 opening, push for climate finance and the 1.5°C goal

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin, on 17 November, assigned Patranant Thongprapan, Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs and head of the Thai delegation, together with Phirun Saiyasitpanich, Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, and other representatives, to attend the opening of the High-Level Segment of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

In his remarks, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), urged parties to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement to ensure the global temperature rise is limited to no more than 1.5°C and to deliver concrete results.

Later that day, Patranant reviewed progress from the first week of negotiations, particularly on developing indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) that align with national priorities, are measurable, and do not create additional burdens. 

She also monitored discussions on the Bakuto Belém Roadmap to 1.3T, which aims to mobilise US$1.3 trillion in transparent and verifiable climate finance for developing countries. She instructed Thai delegates to closely follow the negotiations and prioritise Thailand’s national interests.

Patranant also joined Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, to present a joint vision on the Thailand–Singapore cooperation on international carbon credit trading, formalised on August 19.

She highlighted Thailand’s commitment to raising standards to international levels and positioning itself as a regional leader. Thailand will open calls for proposals for forest-based emissions-reduction projects in the first quarter of 2026.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Department of Climate Change and Environment, is preparing detailed methodologies and procedures to guide the development of projects for international transfer.

In addition, she visited the Thailand Pavilion, where she was briefed on Thailand’s enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) for 2035, as well as investment plans and emission-reduction innovations by PTT and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand showcased in the Innovation Zone. 

She also met with Thai youth representatives advocating for climate action and resilience-building, emphasising the need for social mobilisation to cope with increasingly severe global climate conditions.

The pavilion also hosted several panel discussions featuring Pavich Kesavawong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment, and experts from various sectors. The topics included the critical role of tropical forests in mitigation and adaptation, the importance of water security for humanity, and the development of a transparent and credible ASEAN carbon market aligned with global systems. 

The programme concluded with discussions on equitable access to climate finance, an essential tool for turning commitments into real action.