A panoramic view of Bangkok’s skyline and Lumphini Park from the Dusit Arun Sky Garden at Dusit Central Park.Bangkok makes climate action part of the city’s next chapter, with a target to reduce carbon emissions by 3% annually while creating a greener, more walkable and more liveable capital.
The ambition will further be explored at Bangkok Climate Action Week BKKCAW 2026, running October 3–11 in partnership with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration BMA and other cross-sector partners.
The week will bring together government, business, civil society, youth, media and local communities to examine how a new economy can create better outcomes for both people and the planet.
A preview event, “Climate Citizen – Economy We Shape, Climate We Share,” was held on August 22 at the Jim Thompson Art Center, bringing together leaders and participants ahead of the October programme.
The event featured an opening session, “How Can a New Economy Help Create a Better Environment?”, with Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the AFS Thailand Foundation; Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt; and Leo Horn-Pathnothai, Founder and Co-Chair of the BKKCAW Organising Committee.
Making Bangkok easier to experience
For Bangkok, climate action is increasingly being translated into practical changes to the city itself.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart highlighted the importance of making Bangkok more walkable and improving connections between neighbourhoods and the BTS network.
The objective is not only to reduce reliance on cars, but to make everyday movement through the city easier.
“If we want people to help reduce carbon emissions, we have to make it easy for everyone to participate. Small actions, when we bring them together, can have a much bigger impact,” Chadchart said in translated remarks.
For the travel industry, better pedestrian connections could also change how visitors experience Bangkok — making it easier to move between public transport, hotels, restaurants, cultural attractions and local neighbourhoods.
Bringing green space closer
Greenery is another major part of Bangkok’s urban transformation. The city is working towards nine square metres of green space per person, alongside its 15-minute park initiative, which aims to bring smaller green spaces closer to residential communities.
Around 2.5 million trees have been planted as Bangkok works to create more green “oases” throughout the city, said Mr Chadchart.
The approach could also broaden the visitor experience beyond Bangkok’s traditional attractions, offering more opportunities to discover neighbourhood parks, public spaces and local communities.
The Jim Thompson Art Center provided an appropriate setting for the August preview, combining climate discussions with art and culture and showcasing local artists as a source of inspiration for younger generations.
Climate change and the economy
Mr Sanan highlighted the close relationship between economic change and climate change, noting that environmental impacts can affect supply chains, production costs and ultimately consumer prices.
The message is particularly relevant to businesses across Bangkok’s economy, including smaller enterprises that form an important part of the city’s commercial and tourism landscape.
The transition, he suggested, needs to be broad enough to involve businesses and communities rather than becoming an agenda driven only by large corporations.
Building what comes next
For Mr Leo, BKKCAW is an opportunity to bring different sectors together to shape what is emerging. “How we gather matters for how we move forward. BKKCAW is an opportunity to build what is emerging,” he said. He described the transition as a long journey requiring collaboration and the energy of hope. “Bangkok is the most iconic stage in the world,” he said.
As Bangkok prepares for the October programme, climate action is being positioned not simply as an environmental responsibility, but as an opportunity to rethink how the capital works, how people move through it and how communities participate in its future.
For visitors, the result could be a Bangkok that is greener, easier to walk, better connected and more rewarding to explore at neighbourhood level. The city’s climate transition, in other words, could become part of its next destination story.
