Thailand Launches Just Transition Model to Link Climate Action with Jobs

By enabling scenario-based analysis, the model allows policymakers to test policy choices before implementation—helping identify trade-offs, risks and synergies across sectors and over time.

Thailand has taken a major step toward aligning climate ambition with inclusive economic growth and decent work with the introduction of a Just Transition Assessment Model (JTAM–Thailand)—a new policy innovation designed to help decision-makers navigate the economic and social impacts of climate action.

Senior policymakers, researchers, social partners and development partners gathered in Bangkok on 26 January 2026 to discuss how the nationally tailored model can inform Thailand’s climate and development strategies at a critical policy juncture.

A New Tool for Smarter Climate Policy

JTAM–Thailand is an integrated, data-driven assessment model that brings together economic, labour market, social and environmental data to evaluate how climate and development policies affect GDP, investment, sectoral output, productivity, employment and greenhouse gas emissions.

By enabling scenario-based analysis, the model allows policymakers to test policy choices before implementation—helping identify trade-offs, risks and synergies across sectors and over time. This makes JTAM–Thailand one of the most comprehensive tools currently available to support evidence-based climate policymaking in the region.

“Thailand’s transition must reduce emissions while safeguarding economic growth, employment and people’s well-being,” said Wichayayuth Boonchit, Chair of the PAGE National Steering Committee and Deputy Secretary General of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). “Integrated analytical tools are critical to achieving this balance.”

Innovation Rooted in National Ownership

The model was developed through close collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO), NESDC, Thammasat University, and international research partners, combining global expertise with strong national ownership and academic rigour.

This approach ensures the model reflects Thailand’s real economic structure, labour market dynamics and development priorities—making its findings directly relevant to national decision-making.

Timely Support for Net-Zero Goals

The launch comes as Thailand advances several high-stakes policy processes, including the Climate Change Bill, the development of carbon pricing and market instruments, and the preparation of NDC 3.0, which underpins the country’s commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“These policy decisions will shape Thailand’s economy for decades,” said Lars Johansen, Deputy Director of the ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR. “Integrated assessment models like JTAM are essential to help policymakers understand the links between climate ambition, economic transformation and decent work.”

Just Transition at the Core

A defining feature of JTAM–Thailand is its grounding in the Just Transition principle—ensuring that the move toward a greener economy is fair, inclusive and supports decent work, while protecting workers, communities and vulnerable groups from being left behind.

To support uptake, a three-day technical training session was jointly delivered by the ILO, Cambridge Econometrics and Thammasat University, strengthening national capacity to apply the model in real-world policy analysis.

Call to Action: Early Adoption Matters

As Thailand accelerates its climate agenda, JTAM–Thailand offers policymakers, planners and researchers a powerful opportunity to embed jobs, skills and social outcomes into climate decisions from the outset.

Early adopters within government ministries, planning agencies and research institutions are encouraged to use the model to inform upcoming reforms—helping ensure that Thailand’s green transition delivers not only lower emissions, but shared prosperity.

The consultation was jointly organised by the ILO, NESDC and Thammasat University under the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), which brings together ILO, UNDP, UNIDO, UNEP and UNITAR to support countries in building green, resilient and inclusive economies.